The Founders' Heir
by Renatus
Summary: Pre HBP. Days before his sixteenth birthday, Harry Potter disappears in a blaze of fire and magic. When he returns, few recognize him for who he is. He's out for Voldemort, as per the Task the Founders' set to him. And he isn't about to fail.
1. Privet Drive

**A/N UPDATE Oct 2008:** There is a programming problem with a few later chapters with the way I marked Parseltongue speech (ss,Parseltongue,ss) that cropped up with FF net's new formatting changes (apparently it doesn't like periods). It causes strange text gaps, and lost data, which is annoying and makes it difficult to read. I am now aware of this problem and I'm slowly going through chapters to change the way I marked parseltongue and re-uploading, but it's taking a little bit of time (there's over 40 chapters here you know…) so please excuse the problem, and my slowness in fixing it. Merci!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**Summary:** Days before his sixteenth birthday, Harry Potter disappears in a blaze of fire and explosive magics. Believed dead by most, and alive by a desperate few, the Wizarding world continues on without their prophesized savior. But Harry Potter isn't gone for good, and he isn't dead at all, but few recognize him as who he is until he lets them in on the secret…and his new name only helps him keep his secret…for a while.

**Sidenote:** This story takes place after Harry returns, rather than during the time that he is gone.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter One**

oooOoooOoooOooo

**A Prologue on Privet Drive**

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry eyed the ratty calendar hanging on the wall above his bed and slowly crossed out another day, marking the page with one more markered 'X'.

"Only three more." He whispered to himself as he drew yet another circle around the thirty-first. His birthday. He had little else but the end of the summer to look forward to, locked up as he was in his room. The Dursely's had wasted little time in locking their favorite nephew into his room and his belongings under the stairs. He consoled himself that they at least let him out a few times a day, if only to cook breakfast and clean up after lunch.

He looked over at Hedwig's empty cage and sighed. She was off delivering a letter to Hermione, and likely wouldn't return until his birthday, letters and presents in tow. He capped the marker and tossed it onto his desk as he flopped back onto his bed. He was bored.

His trunk was locked securely in the cupboard under the stairs, his homework and wand along with it. The only thing that hadn't been locked under the stairs was he broom, by some unknown miracle, which was stowed away in the wardrobe of his room. Moody would never approve of Harry not having access to his wand. And he could already see Snape's face when he saw that his assignment was obviously done last minute, and likely on the train into Hogwarts.

A loud crash from the floor below jolted him out of his thoughts. A piercing scream came a moment later and he was off his bed and at the door of his room in a heartbeat. He pressed his ear to the wood, trying to make out the noises coming up the stairs. The scream was most definitely Aunt Petunia, but he didn't know what could make such a crash.

Then he felt it; the presence of dark magic. Dark magic which could only mean one thing: Death Eaters.

Harry was shocked. Privet Drive was supposed to be a safe place. He had been told so countless times, and had returned to it without complaint because of that proposed safety. If the Death Eaters were able to get in than either they broke through the wards, or they weren't strong enough to keep them out. He could only hope that some kind of alarm was sent through to the Order. He may have faced Voldemort more times than any other, but he had little doubt that a group of fully trained dark wizards out for his blood would get anything but.

Harry scanned his room, looking for something useful to defend himself with. His wand was locked in his trunk below the stairs, so he had to rely on more Muggle means. He hoped that the few glances at Dudley's action films would give him a few ideas he could use against a Wizard.

His desk chair caught his eye. It would have to do. Picking up the rickety wooden object by two of its legs, he situated himself on the side of the door, with his back to the wall and the chair poised above his head, waiting for the muttered spells that would unlock his temporary prison. He didn't have long to wait.

The murmured Alohamora was strong enough to slam the door open on its hinges. A block robed figure took his first step into the room, wand raised before him. Movement in the hall beyond betrayed others. Harry held his breath, slightly surprised that they didn't see him.

The Death Eater didn't see it coming.

Harry crashed the chair over his head. The wood shattered as the figure crumbled without a sound. Harry smirked as he kicked the second figure in the groin. The man doubled over and Harry took advantage of his position to knee him hard in the face. The momentum caused the man to shoot backwards and hit his head on the door jam with a painful crack. Harry flinched. He knew how hard the frames of the house were.

A third figure was already stalking into the room and managed to get a hand on Harry's arm. The boy whirled in the man's grasp, throwing a punch towards the masked face. He had never been more happy that he was bored enough through the days to watch Dudley's half-hearted boxing practices in the yard from his window.

His fist connected with a crunch and the man grunted, dropping Harry's arm. Harry went to punch him again, but the Death Eater managed to block his fist with an arm.

"Potter! Stop this nonsense!" the man hissed.

Harry paused in his third swing, fist poised by his ear.

"Snape!" Harry eyed the cracked mask with surprise.

"Well, well," a honeyed voice came from the door, "Little Potter can't even fight with a proper wand."

Harry froze. He knew that voice. He would know it anywhere. He heard it in his nightmares every time he watched Sirius fall through the veil.

"Bellatrix." Harry hissed, turning to face the woman that had killed his Godfather. She was maskless, unlike the others, and the sight of her face did little to temper his anger.

"Give up on using magic at all, Little Potter? I'm not surprised. You can't even cast a proper Unforgivable. I would have given up on it too. How pathetic."

Harry bristled and glared at the woman.

"Ah well," she continued, leaning against the side of the door. "Makes my job easier I suspect." She eyed her companions on the floor. "Though you put up an admirable effort I must admit. Of course, they weren't much of a challenge."

Snape shifted next to him, and Harry glanced at him quickly. He couldn't see the man's face, but he suspected that he didn't much like being grouped with the two goons that Harry had downed on the floor.

Harry didn't take his eyes off Bellatrix. He trusted Snape, mostly, but Bellatrix Lestrange he wouldn't trust to carry a tea tray. She leaned against the shelf near the door with a casual dignity that transformed itself into vain snobbery as she watched her wand twirling between her fingers. Harry slowly slid his hand behind his back as her attention was distracted.

"Well," she said brightly, turning her gaze to Snape, "Lucius is not a patient man, Little Potter, so why don't we head on downstairs to meet your guests?"

"You are no guests of mine." Harry said coldly.

"And here I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be hospitable."

"It's not my house, I've no obligation to play host to a group of imbeciles."

"You should be more polite, Little Potter." She half snarled. She still wasn't looking at him. Harry smirked, curling his fingers around one of the small stones in his back pocket. He had gathered them in order to toss at the not-so-well-hidden Order members that occasionally snuck around the back garden.

He didn't let the conversation continue. Harry chucked the stone at the desk light sitting on the top of the shelf beside the door. His aim was good and the glass lamp shattered in a burst of light, raining glass over the woman's head. Bellatrix shrieked, clutching a hand to the side of her face.

Harry wasted little time, already pulling his broom out of the wardrobe. He had it level and was mounted in seconds. He laid low over the handle and shot towards the window. The quick speed of the Firebolt didn't fail him, whipping up a flurry of loose paper and dust in his wake.

Inches away from the closed window Harry ducked his head tight to his chest and hurled through. Glass shattered around him, slicing into his hands and arms, but he was out of the house. The angry lights of curses shot past him and Bellatrix's angry voice followed him out into the yard.

A Stupify sounded from below him.

He didn't have a chance to dodge it.

The red light of the curse struck him from beneath, tearing through the spells surrounding his broom and jerking him sharply in the air. Harry felt the effects of the curse spread, and his hands quickly went limp, losing his grip on the broom. He screamed as he felt himself fall, but he wasn't sure if it was aloud or just in his head. He saw alternating flashes of sky and earth, and then the world went black.

oooOoooOoooOooo

"Enervate."

Harry blinked, trying to make the room around him stop spinning as he regained consciousness. His leg throbbed, likely broken, and the length of his arms stung. He quickly realized that his arms were held behind him, clutched in two large hands. He glanced over his shoulder, absently noticing the blood soaking his shirt on his shoulders, and the few spots of reflecting glass. A robed, beefy figure of a man had a hold of his wrists, easily restraining him. It had to be Crabbe senior, or perhaps Goyle. No wonder his hands were numb.

Harry looked around him. He was in the Dursely's living room, surrounded by black robed Death Eaters. Harry estimated that there were about a dozen. They all wore their masks, hiding their faces, but he already knew who he would see behind each skull-etched mask. He had encountered this group too many times not to know them.

The Dursleys were bound and seated on the couch, trembling. And under a silencing spell, if Vernon's hollering, purpled face was anything to go by. Harry gave the man points for his gall at still trying to holler the Death Eaters off of his property. Harry was rather surprised that they were still alive, and strangely relieved.

Two Death Eaters were off to the side nursing their heads. Harry smirked slightly, knowing that they were the two he managed to beat off earlier. He found Snape leaning against the cupboard door in the hall, his cracked mask dangling from his hand. His arms were crossed and he was scowling, as usual. A trace of blood was left on his chin, and his nose looked slightly more crooked than usual. Harry couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction that he had managed to break the git's nose, spy or not.

"You are a continuous thorn in my side, Potter." A voice drawled from his left, pulling him out of his observations.

Harry turned his head to look at the Death Eater. The man's voice was as familiar as his sister-in-law's. And as his son's.

"Hello, Lucius. How's life in the manor after loosing your House Elf to a twelve year old?" Harry asked cheekily.

Lucius hissed menacingly, stalking forward to stand in front of the kneeling boy. He motioned to Crabbe, or Goyle, and Harry was hauled to his feet. He suppressed the grimace at the pain the motion caused in his shoulders.

Lucius removed his mask and leaned in close to his face. Harry stood his ground, meeting the silver eyes steadily. He had faced worse things than Lucius Malfoy.

"My Lord wishses to give you a chance." He drawled. "A rare gift, Potter, I suggest you make the best of it."

"I don't give a damn what your snake faced master has to say, and I certainly don't want any tainted gifts form him." Harry said.

Lucius pursed his lips.

"He wishes to offer you an invitation to join him. He will give you everything you could ever…"

"He's already taken away everything that I've ever wanted." Harry interrupted viciously.

"This is your last chance, boy."

Harry eyed him for a moment, then pulled back his head and spit in his face.

"No."

Lucius's eyes narrowed as he pulled a cloth from his pocket and wiped off the spittle.

The man pulled his arm back, and Harry leaned away, knowing what was coming. The hands around his wrists tightened and pulled upward, forcing him forward towards Lucius. The blow connected with the side of his face, and he felt the man's ring cut into his cheek.

Harry's head reeled from the force and he tasted blood. His cheek and jaw ached and tingled, and he thought he felt a trickle of blood slide down the side of his neck. He willed the pounding in his head to go away and faced the Death Eater again.

Lucius was standing his full height and looking down his nose at him. Harry met his eyes evenly and then spit out the blood pooling in his mouth.

It landed on Malfoy's shoes.

Apparently that was a bit too much for the arrogant man and he pulled his wand. Harry looked down the length of pale wood into silver eyes, momentarily curious about the wand's core.

"Crucio." The man hissed.

Harry doubled over as the pain ripped through his body. He clenched his teeth, determined not to give them all the satisfaction of hearing him scream, knowing that they would eventually get him to.

Harry didn't know how long it lasted. He didn't know at what point Crabbe, or Goyle, let go of his arms to allow him to crash to the floor. He didn't hear the assembled chuckles as he body convulsed under the Unforgivable and he didn't know when Lucius lifted the curse.

He didn't scream.

Harry let his body lay limp as he gasped for air. The right side of his face was pressed into the rough carpet, and by the sharp sting in his cheek there was glass imbedded there from the window. The sting was similar, yet different from the pain on his other cheek, the one from Lucius' blow.

"I'm mildly impressed." Lucius drawled from somewhere above him. "Few can last through that long without a sound."

Harry pulled himself to his knees, grimacing at the ache in his arms and shoulders. He studied the imprint of blood on the carpet before him, trying to soothe the pounding in his head and the trembles running down his spine.

"Of course, no one can last through a second round." Lucius said.

"Crucio."

Harry wasn't prepared for the curse. He collapsed to the floor, curling into a fetal position. The pain lanced up and down his spine, and seemed to explode over and over inside his head. He tasted blood, but didn't realize that he was biting through his lip. His body twisted and convulsed, trying to lessen the pain. It didn't help, and the pain didn't stop.

Harry screamed.

It seemed like ages before the curse was lifted again. Harry gasped and felt a sharp pain in his side. He placed a trembling hand against his ribs, which he strongly suspected were broken. The Cruciatus Curse caused extreme pain without physical evidence, or physical release. The pain is directly linked to the mind, making the mind believe that the pain is real when there is in fact nothing that is truly causing it. Which is exactly why it was classified as an Unforgivable. But a strong enough caster can cause physical damage if the spell is left for too long or if the target is subjected to it enough.

Apparently, Lucius Malfoy was a rather strong Wizard.

Harry again made his way painfully to his knees, keeping one arm cradled around his chest. He couldn't stop the tremors in his body, no doubt a lovely side effect of too much exposure.

"Fascinating, really." Lucius said, "The effects of the Cruciatus."

"A rather weak one, I'd say." Harry gasped. "I know a Muggle-born who can make a stronger one."

"What?" Lucius said in a dangerous tone.

Harry had managed to somehow stand on his feet, with a lot of help from the wall. He steadied himself with one trembling hand and met the man's cold eyes.

"I know a Muggle-born who can cast a stronger Crucio than you." He said simply.

"Pray tell, who?"

"Tom Riddle."

The name had the desired effect. Lucius' face turned an interesting shade of scarlet while the Death Eaters around the room shifted on their feet. Harry risked a glance towards Snape, whose face was carefully blank. The man snarled at him, but he couldn't tell whether it was for show or if the man disapproved of the way Harry was handling himself.

Harry looked over to the Dursleys. Their faces were a mixture of terror and something he couldn't quite identify.

Lucius gestured sharply with his hand in the direction of Harry's gaze. To his horror, two Death Eaters immediately sent killing curses towards the last of his blood relatives. Harry staggered away from the wall and stumbled to his knees, unable to support himself. Petunia screamed unheard as Vernon and Dudley collapsed under the power of the spells.

"Do not insult me, boy." Lucius hissed.

Harry met his Aunt's eyes and saw her fear, pain and surprisingly, understanding. He suddenly realized that his mom had told Petunia more about the Wizarding world than he thought, and that she knew exactly what was going on, and why.

"Aunt Petunia." He mouthed.

"Avada Kedavra." Lucius hissed.

Harry didn't take his eyes off his Aunt as the curse crashed into her chest. She didn't try to speak or scream. She didn't even flinch. Harry bowed his head, keeping one shaking hand on his ribs. Horror and a deep sorrow filled him.

"Tom killed my parents." He whispered, barely audible. He saw Lucius' feet shift a bit closer, and he continued in the same soft voice. "Tom took away everything that I have ever wanted. He tried to kill me before I was even able to walk. He haunted my years at school, and my dreams at night." Harry's voice began to gain volume. "He tried to possess my mind. He tried to destroy my faith in myself. He tried to kill my friends. His minions killed my GODFATHER, AND NOW YOU'VE KILLED THE LAST BIT OF FAMILY THAT I HAVE LEFT!" he ended in a roar. Harry stood, his eyes flashing dangerously around the room, and landed on Lucius.

"What a pity." The man drawled. Harry staggered towards him, putting his face directly in front of the blonde's. Lucius didn't move.

"Yes." Harry hissed, "Pity for you."

Lucius was obviously caught completely off guard as he swung. Harry's fist shattered his nose and whipped the man's head back sharply in a very undignified manner. Malfoy staggered, clutching at his face while blood ran down onto the floor. Harry stalked after the blonde intent on hitting the man again.

Harry didn't even hear the curse being cast before it hit his side.

The spell tore through his skin, leaving a deep gash along his abdomen. Harry staggered sharply, clutching at his side. He could feel the warmth of his blood as it seeped through his fingers.

His pause gave Lucius enough time to collect himself and raise his wand.

"Crucio."

Harry screamed as his knees hit the floor. The pain was intense as the spell lanced through a body already weakened. Harry knew nothing else.

Lucius lifted the curse, but Harry barely registered the fact. He kneeled on the floor gasping for breath. His eyesight was blurred, and he couldn't quite get his mind to focus. He was in pain, but he was unable to pinpoint any location on his body that it stemmed from.

He blinked furiously, and the room slowly stopped its tilting; and Harry was able to focus his eyes on what was before him. Lucius looked extremely smug. His relatives still sat slouched on the couch. Harry felt anger and sorrow course through him and he latched onto the feeling, feeding it with the half hazy memories of his life. He didn't notice the steady glow of green light surround him. He ignored the flicker of surprise in Lucius's eyes.

Suddenly a surge of power ripped through him and Harry threw his head back; his scream piercing in its intensity. The magical blast knocked everyone in the room back, shattering the windows of the entire house. Harry screamed again his magic manifesting itself in green laced lightning that crackled and shot out in wide arcs. His scream didn't stop. Instead it pulsed with his magic and the next wave of power surged outward in a dome of dark flames that consumed everything in its path.

Harry couldn't see. He couldn't hear anything. He only felt the emotions that beat in time with his heart. He was unaware of the chaos and destruction that surrounded him, or the power that he had gathered. He was only aware of the horror, anger and the sorrow that he felt.

And then he wasn't aware at all.

Harry collapsed, his screams lingering in the air around Privet Drive.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office on a peaceful afternoon when the alarm for the wards around Privet Drive sounded. He sat stunned for a moment, staring at the whirring silver instrument on his desk, hardly able to comprehend that the wards were breeched. A moment later the alarm changed from a ring to steady screech, and was suddenly silenced.

The wards weren't just breeched, they were gone.

Albus was a flurry of action, alerting the Order of the Pheonix and disappearing through the floo to #12 Grimmauld Place. He swept out of the fireplace and was met with the arriving, concerned faces of the Order.

"The wards around Privet Drive have been destroyed."

oooOoooOoooOooo

The Order apparated onto the street of Privet Drive. What they saw stunned them.

The Dursley's house was gone but for a ghostly representation of the house's frame. Flames flickered amongst the ashes and remains. Many in the Order covered their noses as the scent of burned flesh drifted towards them.

"What happened?" whispered through the air.

Albus slowly moved forward, a shocked expression on his face.

"I wouldn't get too close, Headmaster." A voice spoke from the side of the yard. "Potter's magic is still lingering."

Albus whirled around to face the speaker and came face to face with a rather worse for wear Potions Master. The man was seated against a lone tree, his black robes covered with soot and a substance that looked suspiciously like blood. He looked a right mess. Albus knelt beside him, quickly inspecting him for serious injuries.

"Severus, what happened?"

Snape sniffed. "The Dark Lord sent Lucius and his crew to retrieve your Golden Boy." He began, "Potter was caught and Lucius decided to have his fun. He killed the muggles, and Potter lost control." Snape looked Albus straight in the eye, "Completely."

Gasps were heard from the gathered Order. To loose complete control of ones magic was a devastating occurrence, especially to anyone and anything in the vicinity. No wonder the house was destroyed.

"Where is Harry, Severus?" Albus insisted.

"Gone."

"Gone where?"

"I don't know." Snape snapped. "I was running for my life at the time. Next time I'll be sure to hang around with the after shocks to see what happens to your Boy Wonder. Of course you'd have to ask my ghost for the information, since I'd be dead just like those fourteen Death Eaters who were idiotic enough to stay within range of that brat's magic." Snape looked incredulously at the people around him. "What the hell took you so bloody long? The wards were disabled nearly an hour ago."

"The alarm sounded only moments ago." Albus said softly.

Snape glared at him.

"Are you hurt, my boy?" the Headmaster asked.

"Not seriously."

"Severus," a voice cut in. Snape looked up to glare at the speaker. Remus Lupin, however, either didn't notice or didn't care. "How come you weren't informed of this attack on Harry sooner?"

Snape scowled. "Because the Dark Lord is suspicious of me, that's why; and since I didn't return after this little fiasco no doubt my cover is completely blown. Then again, no one else returned to him either."

"Did you have a way to get Harry out?" Lupin asked.

Snape glared coldly at the werewolf. He could hear the accusation, and see it in the man's yellow eyes.

"Yes." He said shortly, "I had a portkey, which would have dumped the boy in Albus' office if the impertinent brat hadn't broken my nose before I could get a hold of him. There wasn't another chance to get close to him after he tried to escape out the window on that bloody broom of his. Lucius stunned him before he got out of the back yard."

Lupin looked a bit skeptical, but wisely didn't say anything. Snape shifted for the first time since he had propped his tired body against the tree. He hadn't managed to escape the house unscathed. One of that blasted boy's bursts of power had caught him in the shoulder, searing through layers of fabric and down to the bone. He was only glad that the magic had cauterized the edges of the wound; otherwise he rather suspected that he would have bled to death in minutes. He scowled at the thought of his nose. That blasted boy had actually broken it. He grudgingly accepted that Potter could hold his own; in a muggle fist fight at least.

"How many accompanied Malfoy?" Albus asked, attracting the spy's attention.

"Sixteen, including myself and Lucius."

"You said that there were fourteen dead in the house." Moody's voice broke in.

"Yes, Lucius apparated away."

Snape let that bit of information sink in for a moment. He looked over at the ruins of the house. Potter's magic still crackled amongst the charred timbers, giving the area an eerie green cast. Snape grimaced. The afternoon was not a pleasant one for him.

"Potter's body is not in the house." He said.

Albus looked at him in surprise. Most wizards who have completely lost control of their magic had died from the severe strain on their body. Anything within the reach of the released magic was usually destroyed, including the wizard. If Harry's body wasn't in the house, then he had somehow managed to survive where few others ever have. Yet another feat of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Then where is he?" Albus whispered to himself, surveying what was left of Private Drive. No one answered him.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	2. The Founders and Darion

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

* * *

**Last Time**

* * *

"Potter's body is not in the house." He Snape said. 

Albus looked at him in surprise. Most wizards who have completely lost control of their magic had died from the severe strain on their body. Anything within the reach of the released magic was usually destroyed, including the wizard. If Harry's body wasn't in the house, then he had somehow managed to survive where few others ever have. Yet another feat of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Then where is he?" Albus whispered to himself, surveying what was left of Private Drive. No one answered him.

* * *

**The Founders' Heir **

**Part Two**

* * *

**The Founders and Darion**

* * *

Harry woke to the bright light and sterile smell of the Infirmary; something that he had extensive experience with. He groaned and curled over on his side, pulling the blankets up over his head. Now that the light wasn't giving him such a headache he could concentrate on what happened to land him there in the first place. 

Foggy memories of his summer at the Dursley's flitted past his consciousness; from Vernon's annual start of summer lecture to Petunia's constant praise of Dudley's boxing achievements. Never mind that Dudley nearly failed his classes and spent more time beating up kids than he did opponents in a ring.

The attack suddenly found its way through his hazy mind and he sat upright, eyes wide, as the memory played itself out in his head.

The sudden motion apparently didn't agree with him as his head began to spin. He groaned and let himself fall back to the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes.

The Dursley's were dead. Harry had little love for them, but they were his family, and they had died because of that; because of him. A tear escaped and slid past his temple. Too many have died because they were close to him; his parents, Cedric, Sirius and now the Durselys.

Harry slammed his fist into the bed, forcing his melancholy thoughts away. He was not going to wallow in self pity, not when he had a self proclaimed Dark Lord to take it all out on. He sat up again, this time slower, allowing his head to get used to the new position.

From what he could tell it was sometime in the early afternoon, but late enough for the sun to shine directly through the windows. The Infirmary was empty, and there were no noises coming from Pomfrey's office. Harry looked around for his wand and glasses, at which point he realized that neither were present, and he could see fine. Double checking his face for his glasses to no avail, Harry concluded that someone must have corrected his vision. He briefly wondered why they didn't do so years ago. Now he only had to locate his wand and slip out before the Medi-Witch tied him to the bed for the next three days.

He barely touched his feet to the floor when she came bustling in. Only, this wasn't Madame Pomfrey.

"Oh no you don't, young man!" the little blonde haired witch said, "You aren't going anywhere until I'm through with you."

Harry let her push him back onto the bed and putter around him before speaking.

"Um, where is Madame Pomfrey?"

This caused the petite witch to stop her muttering about irresponsible boys and look at him.

"Who dear?"

"Madame Pomfrey, the Medi-Witch?"

"Oh, sorry honey, she's not here right now."

"Oh." Harry was really confused. He didn't remember ever being in the Hospital Wing without Pomfrey.

"Where is she? Is she alright?"

"I'm sure she's fine, dear!"

"Alright." Harry watched the woman mutter spells over him for a moment. She was one of the smallest people he had ever seen. If it wasn't for her older facial features he would have sworn she was a student. The woman was just petite!

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Harry asked. The woman stopped her spellwork, which caused the myriad lights hovering over Harry to dissipate.

"I'm Helga Hufflepuff." Harry just stared. He had heard of people claiming to be descendants of the founders, Tom Riddle jumped to mind rather quickly, but saying you are the founder wasn't something he had encountered before. His shock caused him to be sarcastic.

"Oh sure," he said, waving his hand nonchalantly, "and I'm Godric Gryffindor."

"No, you're not," a new voice joined in, "but you are his heir."

Harry turned skeptical eyes towards the doorway and nearly jumped out of his skin. A middle aged, black haired wizard stood in the doorway, his face nearly blank except for the bemused look in his eyes. Harry had never seen him before, but he would know that face anywhere, even without the flowing beard that he remembered. This man looked like a replica, albeit a young one, of the statue in the Chamber of Secrets. He looked just like Salazar Slytherin.

Harry tore his eyes away from the man and eyed the little witch next to his bed. Now that he looked at her, she did look remarkably similar to the little old witch depicted in Hermione's 'Hogwarts, A History', which he finally got around to reading this past summer.

He was just too tired to try to argue how absolutely barmy this whole deal was.

He looked back to Slytherin, who was smirking at him. Harry was strongly reminded of Snape.

"So, um, how did I get here?"

"We brought you here." Helga said. Harry looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because you are an Heir." She said as if that explained everything.

"Right." Harry was completely lost. Why would the Founders cart him around through time? And what exactly was he an heir of? Harry eyed Slytherin, who had yet to move or speak again.

"An heir of what?"

"Gryffindor." Helga said.

"Lovely." Harry said, and plopped back onto the bed. This was just too much and he was exhausted. He threw an arm over his eyes again and commenced to mumbling about the unjustness of his life.

"Actually, you are also a possible recipient of Slytherin's inheritance as well." Helga's voice interrupted his tirade.

Harry momentarily lifted his arm and eyed the little witch.

"Oh, that's just absolutely wonderful. I'm going to go to sleep now, ok."

"Of course dear!" Helga immediately entered her medical role, which comforted Harry greatly, as it was something familiar to him, even if it wasn't Pomfrey. "You depleted your magical stores immensely. You'll feel tired for a few days yet." The witch said, tucking the blankets around him, "We'll answer your questions when you're ready to get up and about. Sleep well."

And Harry did.

* * *

There was nothing that the Order could do; nobody knew where Harry was. There were searches, but they found nothing. News of the attack on The-Boy-Who-Lived spread like wildfire; many believed him to be dead, others, that he was captured by the Dark Lord and was dead anyways. 

The Weasley family took it hard; Remus Lupin even harder, as he had become the boy's surrogate Godfather. The wizarding world sat with a collective breath, all wondered what Voldemort would do now that their savior was gone.

So it was that the welcoming feast at Hogwarts two months later was a more subdued fare than usual, especially from the Gryffindor table. Even the Slytherins seemed quiet, though a number of the other students attributed it to their plotting, or gloating.

It wasn't long, however, before the school had something new to talk about.

A loud and violent bang startled everyone in the hall, making no few students and professors jump in their seats. Everyone quickly found the source; indeed it was hard to ignore the cloud of blue smoke issuing from the large fireplace behind the head table. A crash and a string of curses accompanied a stumbling figure who was unsuccessfully trying to bat the blue dust out of his robes.

The sight was rather comical considering half of the staff was now standing with their wands trained on a man who was sneezing, and hadn't even looked up yet.

"Who are you?" the Headmaster spoke up. His voice was politely curious, but there was an unmistakable hint of warning.

The stranger paused in the motion of shaking out his robes and looked up. Many students close enough to see clearly gasped. As it were, some of the professors did as well. The right side of the man's face was lined with a variety of scars; no doubt form some incident that caused no little amount of pain.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully, returning to batting at his robes, ignoring the question, or not hearing it.

The Headmaster was silent, only the few nearest him could see the shock and confusion on his face. The stranger had apparently given up on his robes, which were still very blue in spots, and had pulled his long hair out of its tie to shake it out as well. This revealed the man's arms as his sleeves slid to his elbows. A second round of gasps was heard. The man's arms were horribly scarred. Both arms had a thick ragged line from his palms, down along his inner forearm and tapering off near his elbows. The stranger, however, didn't seem to notice the attention he was getting.

"Darion?" the Headmaster whispered. The young man looked at the Headmaster again, taking the time to study the elder's face.

"Hello Bill!"

"My name is not Bill." The Headmaster stated rather indignantly.

"Oh." The stranger looked at the Headmaster as if trying to figure something out. His face suddenly brightened in recognition.

"Oh, sorry, Abe." He began, again turning his attention to his robes, "Mixed you up with your brother. Is Albus around?"

A number of the students looked at the strange boy like he was some sort of idiot. How could you not recognize Albus Dumbledore? The young man again looked questioningly at Albus.

"Who decided to make you Headmaster?"

This, interestingly, caused the normally stoic Headmaster to stutter.

"I'm not the Head…Abe isn't…I'm not…"

"Oh!" the stranger interrupted, "Well, that's good. Albus in his office then?" the boy waved in the general direction of the Headmaster's office, "It's that way right?"

The Headmaster spluttered a bit as the young man walked easily towards one of the side doors, his blue splotched robes billowing out behind him.

"Well, come on then, old man." The stranger said, "I want to see if old stoney recognizes me at all."

Albus stood still for a moment, staring at the door the boy had disappeared through. Sudeenly an odd look crossed his face before he bolted through the door.

"Darion, wait! Darion! Don't you dare hex him! Darion!" the Headmaster's voice echoed back through the halls.

No one knew quite what to think, as everyone sat stunned, staring at the door the Headmaster had just run through. No one had ever seen the Headmaster run before. No one had ever heard him yell either.

The stranger quickly traversed the halls to the Headmaster's office, Albus not far behind him. He rounded a corner and spotted the stone statue of a griffin that guarded the entrance. He smirked rather evilly.

"What are you smirking about?" the Headmaster asked, coming up beside him.

"Just remembering the last time I came up this way is all." The young man didn't take his eyes from the statue, "and wondering if Old Stoney here has managed to re-grow his backbone."

"Well if you hadn't broken it in the first place, there wouldn't be a problem." Albus retorted.

The young man turned to him, "He deserved it."

"He did? Or did you do it to get back at Godric for something?"

"Godirc didn't have anything to do with it. That blasted statue shot fireballs at my head!"

With this said the stranger stalked down the corridor towards the Griffin.

"I didn't know he could shoot fire." Albus mumbled.

Darion stalked up to the stone statue and stared the Griffin in the eyes. Albus sidled up to them and watched the interplay curiously, memories from his youth rising up quite unexpectedly. Darion tilted his head to the side, studying the statue.

"What's the password?" the youth asked.

"Fizzing Wizzbies." Albus said softly.

The statue jumped to the side, revealing the spiraling staircase beyond. Darion smirked and made his way up the stairs, the Headmaster following along behind him.

"How disappointing." The stranger mumbled as he entered the office. "I had hoped for a bit more of a fight from the old Griffin." Darion sprawled himself in one of the chairs before the desk, throwing his leg over the armrest. "What did you do to make him so mellow, Bill?"

Albus shot a look at the young man as he settled himself behind his desk.

"Perhaps it is old age, Darion."

Darion hummed his agreement, as his eyes wandered around the office, settling on the old phoenix. Fawkes stared at the youth, ruffling his feathers and preening under the attention.

"Lo Fawkes." Darion chuckled.

The Pheonix crooned and ruffled his feathers importantly.

"Darion." The Headmaster began, "What are you doing here? This isn't your time. Was something wrong with the calculations? Rowena has never made a mistake before."

"Golly, Bill. I haven't heard you ramble since that time you and Abe were turned into girls."

"Yes, and you didn't have anything to do with that, did you?" Albus said stiffly.

Darion placed a hand over his chest, "Me? I'm hurt, Bill." He grinned.

"I do wish you would stop calling me that. My name is Albus, as you very well know, Darion."

"Yes, but Bill is so much more appropriate, don't you think?"

"Hmph."

"So, how is Abe?"

"Fine, fine. He's running off somewhere in America I do believe."

Darion laughed. "Chasing some new rumor, I'm sure."

"Yes, something about Big Foot."

Darion laughed again, and leaned back in his chair, casting his eyes over the portraits of the old Headmasters. The two sat comfortably for a few moments before Albus' curiosity finally got to be too much.

"Darion. Why are you here?"

The youth smiled, and turned his attention back to the Headmaster.

"I'm here, because my training is complete."

"Yes, but, Darion, this is not your time."

"Yes it is."

Albus looked shocked and sat back, folding his fingers under his chin in thought. Darion watched him with a small smile on his face. He couldn't help but wonder if the old man would be able to figure it all out.

"I am not familiar with the Elddir family line, nor do I recall any by that name attending Hogwarts in the last century." Albus began. "You never attended Hogwarts, did you?"

Darion's smile grew larger. "I was sorted into Gryffindor."

"Really? You were never given a House from the Founders."

"Yes, I know. They never could agree on one House for me, so they never put me in one. The Sorting Hat, I believe, just put me in a House because it had to."

"That still does not explain why I never knew of you before hand." Albus said.

"That is because Darion Elddir is not my true name."

Albus again looked shocked. "But, none of the other Heirs changed their names."

"No, they didn't. I believe I was the only one to go by a false name."

"Why?"

Darion sighed. "A few reasons; mostly because there were too many Heirs who would know who I was if I used my true name; you included. The Founders decided that it would be better if nobody knew my identity. That way no one would be aware of the abilities that I possess. It gives me a distinct advantage."

"An advantage over what? Darion, the Heirs are not meant to be against each other."

"Yet you fight against Voldemort." Darion sighed again. "The Heirs are not meant to try to take over the world, either. Tom is using his inheritance wrongly, and Salazar knew this. That is why no one knows my true identity. That is why you think that you don't know who I am."

"Salazar sent you to take care of Tom."

"Yes, though I would be here anyways."

"What do you mean?"

The youth cocked his head at the Headmaster. "Are you missing any students?"

Albus started, and leaned forward, his eyes looking intently into the young man before him. Darion smiled slightly, and waited for him to make the connection. He knew the exact moment that Albus figured it all out. His eyes widened, and the ever present twinkle doubled in intensity. Darion's smile grew.

"Harry?"


	3. Meddlesome

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

* * *

**Last Time**

* * *

The youth cocked his head at the Headmaster. "Are you missing any students?" 

Albus started, and leaned forward, his eyes looking intently into the young man before him. Darion smiled slightly, and waited for him to make the connection. He knew the exact moment that Albus figured it all out. His eyes widened, and the ever present twinkle doubled in intensity. Darion's smile grew.

"Harry?"

* * *

**The Founders' Heir**

**Part Three**

* * *

**Meddlesome**

* * *

"Right in one, Bill." 

"Albus' eyes twinkled madly. "You've changed, Harry."

"Yes."

"Was it the power backlash?"

"That's what altered my appearance, though I'm really not all that different." Harry said, "You'd be surprised how much a different hair style and the lack of glasses will change your looks. As for the rest, well, let's just say that five years with the Founders would change anyone."

"Indeed it would." Albus smiled knowingly. "Now, Harry. How would you like to continue?"

Harry sat back and thought about his options.

"There are a few things we could do, some are more practical than others." He began, "I could return as a student, either by the name Harry Potter, or Darion Elddir. I am certified to teach a few subjects, but as the school year has already begun, I'm assuming that you have filled all positions by now."

"I think it may be wise to keep Harry Potter gone for a while. The Wizarding world either believes him to be dead or off in hiding. Reports say that Voldemort is a bit frantic searching for you."

"If he's too busy looking for me, than he is less likely to attack other targets." Harry mused, "Very well, Harry Potter will remain hidden then."

"Wonderful, Darion." Albus exclaimed, "Now, what to do with you?"

Harry eyed the Headmaster a bit warily, thinking that the old man was a bit too eager for his own peace of mind. Albus had been manipulative in his youth with the Founders. Harry had been on the receiving end of that manipulation a number of times. He was sure that the old man had only perfected his craft in the past century. That blasted twinkle was a bad sign, especially when the recipient has no idea what the Headmaster is plotting, and right now, Harry would be buggered if he knew what Dumbledore was cooking up for him. It was definitely a bad sign.

"Who is your Defense professor this year, Bill?" Harry opted for a temporary distraction.

"Alastor has agreed to teach."

Moody? The real one, I hope."

"Yes, of course." Albus smiled. "Darion, have you thought about taking an Apprenticeship?"

Harry groaned inwardly; so much for the distraction idea.

"Become an Apprentice? No, actually, I've never really thought about it. I didn't think it was a common thing anymore."

"They are a bit rare, yes, but I think it may be a good option for you. You would stand out too much among the students, you're beyond their levels."

"True." Harry said, "Did you have a particular Master in mind, then?"

"It would have to be someone in the Order."

"Well, that certainly narrows down our options. It doesn't have to be at Hogwarts, so long as I have access to the school. About how many Masters are in the Order?"

"Five, I believe."

Harry eyed the full blown twinkle directed at him. The blasted old man had someone in mind already, and he was just trailing the youth along. Harry scowled.

"Alright, Bill, who is it?"

"Since you're already competent in Defense," Albus began, and Harry had a sinking feeling of dread that he knew where this was going, "and you are used to dealing with Salazar,"

Harry's stomach dropped.

"Oh no. No, Bill. I am not apprenticing under Snape. When he finds out who I am, he'll hang both of us up from the goal posts and dissect us for ingredients, slowly. No bloody way."

* * *

Harry sat in his chair in the Headmasters office in a mood that could only be described as sulky. He could already feel the knife cutting into his abdomen. He grimaced. 

"Parts of the Boy-Who-Lived are going to be all over the black market." Harry mumbled.

"What was that, Darion?" Albus asked sweetly.

"You have a death wish, Old Man." He growled. "In case you've forgotten, me and Snape don't get along too well."

"No, Severus and Harry Potter didn't get along. You are Darion Elddir. You'll get along splendidly, I'm sure."

"You're getting a little senile at your age, old man."

"I'm not old, Darion."

Harry snorted. "Mad. Absolutely barmy."

Albus laughed and conjured a flowery tea set just as the door opened and the Potions Master himself entered.

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?"

"Ah, Severus, do sit down. Tea?"

"No, thank you."

Harry watched the dark man sit primly in the chair next to him. It contrasted greatly with his own sprawl. He briefly toyed with the idea of acting the part of a rebellious youth. No doubt Snape would adamantly refuse to associate himself with an unruly, mutinous boy. Harry smirked inwardly. Better to hide his marauder's side for a while, he decided. Pranking Snape could be as entertaining as getting back at Salazar.

"Your Slytherins are settled, I trust." Albus said.

"They're quiet." Harry smirked outright. No student was going to go to bed so early, especially on the first night back.

"What do you need, Headmaster. I have classes in the morning." Snape said.

"Classes that I'm sure you are well prepared for, Severus."

Snape didn't say anything. He only narrowed his eyes at the older wizard.

"I would like to introduce you to someone." Albus began. Snape's eyes flickered over to Harry. "This is Darion Elddir. He is seeking an Apprenticeship in potions."

Show time, Harry thought.

Harry sat up and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Professor." Snape eyed him, and for a moment Harry thought that the man wouldn't accept his hand. Just as he was about to withdraw it, Snape shook with a firm grip.

"Mr. Elddir." He began, "What makes you think that I am searching for an Apprentice?"

"I never said you were." Harry said.

Snape's dark eyes never left his and Harry had to force himself not to fidget. "Why should I take you on?"

"Because no matter how much we try to wiggle out of it, Albus will still manage to get his way, so it's easier to just accept that he's a meddlesome old goat and go along with his plans." Harry smirked, and shot a wink towards the Headmaster.

"Indeed." Snape's lip twitched slightly, and Harry's smirk grew.

"Darion, I'm not old."

Harry laughed. "Notice, he didn't deny that he's a meddlesome goat."

* * *

Harry followed his new Master down into the bowels of the castle. He was feeling strangely calm, which was no doubt due to the fact that his situation hadn't quite sunk in yet. He was apprenticed to Snape, of all people. Moody would have been better. More dangerous granted, but at least his pride would remain intact. 

"Barmy old man." He mumbled.

"What was that, Mr. Elddir?" Snape turned to look at his young charge.

"Nothing, sir."

"The Headmaster has set aside chambers connected to my own for your use in the next two years. Due to my teaching duties, a part of your apprenticeship will include gaining the certificates you need to become a Professor."

Snape stopped outside a portrait of Salazar Slytherin. Harry eyed the Founder, trying to hide his amusement, and knew he wasn't succeeding very well. Salazar was sitting primly in a high backed chair with a large serpent wrapped around his shoulders. He looked the part of a snobby, pureblooded, arrogant Lord. Harry just itched to throw a hex or two at him.

"Salazar," Snape said, "My new Apprentice, Darion Elddir. He is to be allowed entrance."

Salazar eyed the youth; the only sign of their acquaintance was the amusement in his green eyes. "Very well, Severus." The portrait winked slightly at Darion and swung open. Harry smirked at the Founder and stalked through the portrait hole.

Harry was led into a spacious living space with a neutral color scheme, which surprised him a bit, what with Snape's usual dour disposition. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a large sturdy desk was situated along the wall opposite the fireplace. Snape pointed out the door to his new rooms, and Harry took a quick look from the doorway. It was simply a large bedroom, with a desk, and a wall of empty shelving. A second door looked to lead into a bathroom.

"My room is there." Snape said and pointed to another door. "You will not enter it. My lab is through the passage there, and beyond that are my office, and the potions classroom. I will show you those tomorrow."

Harry nodded and pulled out his shrunken trunk from a pocket in his robes. He set it on the floor near his bed and waved his hand over it, enlarging it.

"You can do wandless magic." Snape said. Harry looked at him and saw the well concealed surprise.

"Not technically."

Snape eyed him, and gestured to the chairs near the fire in the living area. Harry sat and waited for his Master to ask the questions, he knew were coming.

Twenty minutes passed, before Snape's curiosity got the better of him. Harry knew. He had watched the clock over the mantle.

"Explain."

Harry took a deep breath and launched into one of his stories.

"About five years ago I had to get a new wand. There was an accident. I was holding two wands, one in each hand, and they reacted against each other and exploded." Harry pulled his sleeves up, baring his forearms and the scars there. "Needless to say, the explosion was violent. Both wands completely shattered." He ran a finger down the right side of his face, over the group of thin scars there. The convenient scars that hid his Boy-Who-Lived mark so well. "I was lucky I didn't lose an eye. As it were, it took three healers over twelve hours to pull all the splinters out. They never found the two cores. I haven't needed to use a wand since."

"What were the two cores?" Snape said after a moment.

"Feathers. One from a Pheonix, and one from a Thunderbird. They are cousins, but their magics are so different that they are nearly opposites. That's the only reason we can figure as to why the wands reacted so violently with each other." Harry paused and thought a bit, "The casings were both Pale Ebony if I remember correctly."

"That would explain why the splinters scarred."

"Yes. If the wood wasn't from a magical tree, than we probably would have been able to heal them."

Snape rose and poured himself a glass of what Harry guessed was scotch.

"Something to drink?" he asked.

"Tea, if you have it."

They settled back into their chairs, and Harry cupped the steaming tea in his hands.

"Do you have any other questions for me, sir?"

Snape eyed him. Harry couldn't help but think that he had done that an awful lot. He wondered what was so interesting about himself.

"Give me a brief summary of your skills and knowledge. I'll have you complete a more thorough analysis later." Harry nodded. He had expected this.

"I concentrated on Defense through my schooling, and it is by far my best subject." Harry began, "Transfiguration, Charms, Creatures and Herbology are also well covered. I was taught by a Potions Master, though he tended to worry more about my ability to defend myself against them rather than how to make them. I have a basis in Arithmancy, Runes, Astrology and Healing." He paused to take a sip of his tea. "I know hand to hand combat, fencing, and stealth. I am an Occlumens, and know the basics of Legilimancy. I have completed my Animagus training as well."

"A good start." Snape said, "You'll be tested on them so that I can determine your levels later."

"I expected as much."

"How would you rate your potions making skills?"

"Adequate at best." Harry said, "As I said, my teacher was more concerned about me being able to defend myself from them in the chances of an attack. I carry a large selection of potions on my belt, and I know how to create any I carry, though I struggle with any others. I've been told that I have no natural talent for the subject."

Snape nodded and they sat for a while in silence.

"What is your experience with the Dark Arts?"

"I know how, and have used them." Harry said, "I was taught that you cannot defend yourself from what you do not understand, nor is the world black and white."

Snape again nodded, apparently satisfied with his response.

"Do you have any restrictions or rules that I need to be aware of?" Harry asked.

"Only that you treat me with the proper respect. Use one of my titles whenever we are in public. You may call me Severus when we are alone."

"Of course, sir."

"I will provide you with my crest for your robes tomorrow. Once I get a full analysis of your skills, we will make up a syllabus for you. Do you have any questions that need to be addressed now?"

"No, nothing that can't wait."

"Very well." Snape said, standing. "You will be introduced to the school at breakfast. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sir."

Harry made his way into his room and eyed his trunk, trying to decide if he wanted to unpack it or not. Deciding to forgo the chore of emptying his seven compartment trunk, he opened it only to pull out pajamas and clothing for the next day. He changed quickly and crawled into bed.

He was asleep in moments. Jumping a thousand years through a modified floo system took a surprising amount of energy.


	4. Mistrust by Association

**Author's Note:** A few comments and questions I'm willing to answer now, most of them will be answered within the story at some point, so you'll have to wait for those; but these, I'll tell you.

Abe is short for Aberforth, and Aberforth is Albus' brother. Sorry about this one, I didn't make that very clear. Both Dumbledores are Heirs, and attended the 'founders' school' with Harry while in their teens. You probably won't see Abe, but he'll be mentioned a few times.

Darion (Harry) calls Albus 'Bill' as a nickname, you'll find out why later…it's a surprise.

This is not slash. Nor will romance be a large part, if at all.

Harry was taught very well by the founders in many things, but he is not a Master in any subject, he hasn't had the time. Think about how long it takes to gain a PhD (6-8 years).

A lot of people seemed confused by the idea of the Founders and the Heirs. Bear with me, the mystery is half the fun…and don't worry, when Hermione gets wind of who 'Darion' is, you'll get all kinds of answers when Harry tries to get himself out of her interrogation…with little success…

Thanks everyone! Love the lollipops by the way, deanine, thanks for the great review.

**Side Note:** Original spell names are usually derived from Latin terms.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

* * *

**Last Time**

* * *

"Very well." Snape said, standing. "You will be introduced to the school at breakfast. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sir."

Harry made his way into his room and eyed his trunk, trying to decide if he wanted to unpack it or not. Deciding to forgo the chore of emptying his seven compartment trunk, he opened it only to pull out pajamas and clothing for the next day. He changed quickly and crawled into bed.

He was asleep in moments. Jumping a thousand years through a modified floo system took a surprising amount of energy.

* * *

**The Founders' Heir**

**Part Four**

* * *

**Mistrust by Association**

* * *

"Severus, what ever did you do to make Darion look so agitated this early in the morning?" Albus asked, watching Harry seethe at the end of the Slytherin table.

"Me, Albus?" Severus hissed. "That brat has no concept of etiquette, and I told him so. If the boy wants to sulk, then let him."

"Come now, Severus, surely he isn't that bad."

Snape scowled darkly. Albus turned back to Darion. The look on the boy's face brought back a collection of interesting memories. He briefly toyed with the idea of warning Severus about the repercussions of getting Darion riled up. The boy had a habit of reaping payment if he felt slighted.

"Albus, how do you know Mr. Elddir?" Minerva interrupted his thoughts.

"We went to school together."

"Albus, that's not possible." Snape said, "The boy can't be any more than 17."

"He's 21 actually. And it is indeed possible where the Founders are concerned."

"He is one of the Heirs?" Minerva said. She looked over the student tables, letting her eyes settle on Darion, who was still sulking.

"An heir of the founders?" Snape eyed the Headmaster. "So that's why it took you a moment to recognize him."

"Yes," Albus sighed, "It has been a long time since I returned from the founders, and I didn't expect to see him here. He surprised me quite efficiently." He chuckled, "I think he did that on purpose, actually."

"So he knew you when you were a youth?" Minerva asked.

"Yes. I was 14 when I was taken back to the Founders. Darion showed up a year after me. We spent three years there together."

"Really," Minerva looked thoughtfully at the young man, "I might have to have a chat with him later." Albus eyed his Deputy Headmistress warily. "Whose house was he in?"

"He didn't have one." Albus said. Minerva snapped her head around to look at the Headmaster. "The founders could never agree which house he belonged to, so he was never placed in one. He slept in Gryffindor, but spent most of his time among the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. He also spent a large amount of time with Salazar."

"Well, that would explain his 'lack of etiquette', then, Severus." Minerva said.

"Yes," Snape said, "Sleeping among Gryffindors would challenge the propriety of anyone."

"Minerva, Severus." Albus chided. Snape snapped his mouth closed with an audible click, though only Minerva had the grace to look a little embarrassed.

"Actually, Darion and Salazar got along quite well." Albus said, "In public at any rate."

"What do you mean, Albus?" The Headmaster eyed Severus, noting the curiosity in his eyes, but also the set jaw that clearly stated his intentions of remaining silent. He turned to answer Minerva's question.

"The two put up a completely civil front to any audience, but there were numerous speculations regarding their arguments when they were away from the public eye. I don't doubt that the two didn't like each other, but they seemed to at least bear a certain level of respect." Albus paused and watched the young man. "I rather suspect that they enjoyed the challenge that their confrontations provided. There were a few occasions where Salazar caught Darion at some prank or another, though from what I know, Darion only pranks those whom he feels have wronged him in some way."

"He seems like an interesting, boy." Minerva said.

"Yes, he is quite the young man." Albus turned to his still silent professor, his eyes twinkling. "You may want to be watchful, Severus. If Darion is affronted, he will seek retribution for the offense. Salazar caught him only a few times, and I know that Darion pulled many pranks on Slytherin, though you would have been hard pressed to prove that it was him."

"Thank you, Headmaster, for that delightful warning." Snape sneered, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have classes to attend to, and an apprentice to manage."

Albus watched Snape stalk out of the great hall with a small smile.

"This is going to be entertaining, isn't it?" Minerva said.

"Absolutely fascinating, yes."

Albus watched Darion seethe silently at the end of the Slytherin table. At least he knew where 'Darion's' marauder side came from now. The boy was the son of the best, after all.

Albus chuckled. Salazar was the only one to ever catch Darion at one of his pranks, and even the sly founder didn't catch half of the things Darion did.

Severus wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

Harry ran his fingers over the patch on his robes. It was an odd feeling. He hadn't born the mark of a House in many years. Snape's emblem was very fitting, he thought. It was a raven with a wand and a sword clutched in either talon; below was the universal symbol of alchemy. Apparently the Snape line was well known for their potions skills.

He smoothed down his brown robes. He was thankful that Snape wasn't going to force him to wear black. He wasn't fond of black. He didn't fancy resembling an overgrown bat like Snape. Besides, the earthly brown tone that he tended to wear was his own family's color; the Potter family; and even though he was unable to bear his own house emblem, he could at least wear his own colors.

Harry shifted and let his eyes travel over the students in the Great Hall. His old friends from Gryffindor were all seated together. Harry felt for them. They were not aware that he was alive and well. He knew that they were taking his disappearance hard, but there was little he could do to change that. It was too dangerous to let his identity be known to too many people. He was slightly relieved that the Marauder's Map was destroyed at the Dursley's, though he dearly missed his photo album, and invisibility cloak.

His gaze shifted up to the staff, and he scowled shortly at Snape as the man glided out of the hall. Albus may have made them agree to the apprenticeship, but neither of them wanted it.

And Harry still didn't like the greasy git.

He poked at his food irritably, and let his brain kick out embarrassing situations that he could put Snape into without the man knowing that it was Darion who was behind them. Harry briefly entertained the idea of putting Albus through a few as well. It was the old man's idea anyways.

A small cough interrupted his scheming, and he looked up into the silver eyes of Malfoy, flanked by his two sidekicks. Harry stared at him, his fork still posed above his plate.

"Draco Malfoy." The boy said, putting out his hand, "Welcome to Slytherin."

"I'm not a part of Slytherin House."

"Then why are you sitting here?" one of the goons said.

"Because I liked the view." Harry said, still staring down the blonde.

"Regardless," Malfoy said, "Welcome to Hogwarts, then." Harry decided to play nice for the moment and took the offered hand.

"Morning." Harry watched the emotions flicker in Malfoy's eyes before the boy seemed to make a decision and sat down across from him. Harry returned to his breakfast, and scheming.

"You're Snape's new Apprentice, then?" Malfoy said.

Harry grunted. The whole bloody school knew that he was an Apprentice. The Headmaster had just announced it. Why the need to repeat the obvious, Harry had no idea. A stupid statement certainly didn't deserve a cohesive response.

"Where are you from, Elddir?" Malfoy continued, "I'm not familiar with your family line."

"You wouldn't be."

"Oh? Why not?"

"It's a bit obscure."

"Interesting. Where are you from?"

"England."

"Any particular city?"

"No."

"Look, Elddir…"

"No." Harry said, meeting the blonde's eyes again, "You look. Obviously you can't take a hint and leave me alone. I'm not going to tell you, so just give it up."

"Or what?" Malfoy said coldly. Ah, Harry thought, there was that Malfoy ice he was familiar with. Harry smirked slightly.

"Well, now, that's a secret."

Malfoy stared at him, and Harry met his look evenly. The pretty, noble boy couldn't compete with the glares that he was used to from Salazar. Malfoy couldn't even match his Head of House stare for stare, though Harry admitted that he had a good start.

Harry muttered a word under his breath, and smirked openly as Malfoy's hair began to change color.

"Nice to meet you, Malfoy." Hary said as he stood, "I'll see you around."

Harry made his way quickly out of the Great Hall, glancing back as he neared the doors to see Malfoy's head of blonde locks now a roaring Gryffindor red. He chuckled at the small commotion at the Slytherin table and slipped out of the hall.

* * *

Harry waited for most of the students to pass before he headed towards the dungeons. As he approached the stairwell a figure stepped in front of him. Harry raised his head and met the mismatched eyes of Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. His magical eye was fixed directly on him, which caused a bit of nervousness to rise. Harry met the stare, regardless, and waited to see what the old Auror wanted.

"Mr. Elddir."

"Sir."

"Your Master," he sneered, "has given me leave to use you for a demonstration in my class this morning."

Harry was surprised, and not a little skeptical. He knew that Moody and Snape got along about as well as a couple of territorial Hippogriffs. Which was not at all.

"Sure, just let me change into something a bit more comfortable, sir."

Moody's eyes didn't leave him. "What you are wearing will do, Apprentice." Moody stalked down the corridor towards the Defense classroom. Harry briefly wondered how the man managed to stalk with a wooden leg.

"Come, Apprentice."

Harry followed the old Auror with not a little bit of apprehension. Moody was the type to spring something nasty on you just to test you.

"Good thing I have practice." Harry mumbled, thinking of all the things Salazar put him through. When Harry had confronted the Founder about it, Slytherin had said that it was for training. Harry may have believed the training bit, but he knew that Salazar got some twisted delight form putting him through hell. Harry eyed the Auror ahead of him. Moody would probably use the same excuses.

Harry followed him into the chamber and was met with the sixth year NEWT Defense class.

"Great." He said, eyeing the students. The Gryffindors were eyeing him right back, with a certain level of mistrust that hurt him more than he thought would. Seeing such mistrust in the eyes of his friends was a blow that he wasn't quite prepared for.

"Just one more thing to get back at Albus for." He mumbled. He turned towards the Slytherin side, and met Malfoy's furious glare. The boy's hair was still red. Harry smirked at him.

"Apprentice Elddir has graciously agreed to aid me this morning." Moody's gruff voice brought the attention of the class to the front.

Harry watched the grizzled warrior from the back. He knew it wouldn't get him out of anything, but he was hoping that the distance would give him some kind of warning for an attack.

"Since none of your previous teachers held any level of competence," Harry saw the Gryffindors bristle at this, "I will be testing you all to see if you'll be worth my time." Moody surveyed the class, but Harry saw that his magical eye never left him. Great, he thought, mistrust by association with Snape.

"We will start with practical dueling." The Auror continued, "You will face off two at a time, and we'll see what you're capable of, though I don't expect much."

Harry let his eyes wander over the students. All four houses were present. Harry was rather proud to note that Gryffindor house out did the others by half, and many of them had been a part of the defense club from fifth year. Moody may be a bit surprised with his results.

"Thomas and Zabini. You first."

The two students faced off in the cleared space at the front. Moody stood along the front wall, his magical eye still fixed on Darion. Harry sized up the two students. Dean looked confident, and held his wand steady. He was one of the DA members, and had the habit for short, powerful attacks, if Harry remembered correctly. Zabini, however, he barely knew, but he looked strong, and didn't seem nervous.

The two bowed and faced off, their wands up and ready.

Thomas cast the first curse.

"Imobilious!"

The orange light was quick, and Zabini barely dodged it in time, but the Slytherin sent a spell back faster than Harry would have given him credit for. Thomas was forced to erect a shield, but the spell tore through it. Luckily, both spells dissipated, and the two boys faced each other again. The two were well matched.

Harry eyed Moody, his respect for the man rising. The old Auror managed to pair two students with similar power levels, without knowing them before hand. Then again, it could have had something to do with that bloody fake eye of his.

"Expelliarmus!" Zabini yelled.

Thomas dodged the spell and sent a jelly-legs curse back.

The duel continued for a few minutes, the two boys trading a variety of hexes. Harry was beginning to get bored. He needn't have worried, Zabini managed to get in an Impediment Jinx, and Thomas suddenly found himself slowed to a snail's pace. The young Slytherin quickly disarmed him and ended the duel.

"If you two are the standard for your classmates, then you are all years behind." Moody said from the front. He waved his wand and ended the curse on Thomas. "Take your seats."

Harry perched himself on the top of one of the empty desks at the back and watched as Moody went through the entirety of the class. Most of the duels continued in the same vein as the first; some quicker and flashier, while others were more conservative and took longer to finish. He was proud to say that the majority of the DA members won, including all those who had gone to the Ministry with him. Ron had thrown Pansy Parkinson clear across the room with a disarming hex, and Hermione won hers against a Ravenclaw boy in under a minute.

Harry looked up at the old Auror. That blasted magical eye hadn't moved from him during the entire class, and now the normal one was staring down at him as well. The slightly feral look in the old Auror's eyes did nothing good for Harry's nerves. The man was up to something, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't be all that pleasant.

He was right.

"Malfoy." Moody called, "You are the last. You can take your pick; me, or Apprentice Elddir."

Harry glanced over at the boy. He had no doubts who Malfoy would choose.


	5. No Sense in Running

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

* * *

**Last Time**

* * *

Harry looked up at the old Auror. That blasted magical eye hadn't moved from him during the entire class, and now the normal one was staring down at him as well. The slightly feral look in the old Auror's eyes did nothing good for Harry's nerves. The man was up to something, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't be all that pleasant.

He was right.

"Malfoy." Moody called, "You are the last. You can take your pick; me, or Apprentice Elddir."

Harry glanced over at the boy. He had no doubts who Malfoy would choose.

* * *

**The Founders' Heir**

**Part Five**

**

* * *

No Sense in Running**

* * *

Harry met Draco's silver eyes, noting the anger in them with some amusement. If he had known that charming the boy's hair red got him this kind of reaction he'd have done it years ago.

"I choose the Apprentice." Draco sneered.

"Surprise, surprise." Harry mumbled. He walked up to the front of the class and took his position across from Draco. He eyed the other boy, pointedly smirking at the still very red hair. Malfoy bristled.

"Where's your wand, Elddir?" Draco sneered, "Or are you planning to fight like a muggle?"

"Perhaps I am." Harry smirked, "It would even things out a bit for you."

"You would only make my job easier."

"I'll tell you what, Malfoy; I'll cast one spell for every three of yours." Harry inspected his fingernails, feigning boredom.

"Are you mad?" Draco asked incredulously.

"No, I'm just trying to level the playing field." Harry said and met the boy's eyes, "Besides, you're hardly a challenge for me."

Harry cheered himself inwardly. His taunting had gained him the desired result: Draco Malfoy was mad. Harry knew the boy wouldn't take such insults easily. Now the duel may just get interesting, he thought.

"Fine, have it your way, Elddir." Malfoy said, raising his wand. "We'll see if you can keep your word."

"I always do." Harry smirked. He could beat Malfoy to a pulp without using a drop of magic, but Draco didn't need to know that; yet.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco yelled.

Harry simply bent his upper body out of the way of the curse, letting it explode against the wall behind him. "That's one, Draco." He shook his head. Malfoy was a bit stupid to cast that spell first; as it's easily dodged.

"Stupefy!"

Again, Harry twisted his shoulders and let the curse pass by. "Two."

Draco was seething now. Harry had barely moved, and the proud Slytherin wasn't taking this blatant disregard well at all.

"PICOVARE!" Draco roared.

Harry's eyes widened at the spell, and quickly dodged out of the way of the blackish colored light. The spell connected to the floor and wall with a thick splash and angry hiss. He eyed the tar-covered floor a few feet away. Smoke was already rising from the edges of the burning tar.

"Well, Malfoy," he said, turning to the still furious boy, "You're either very brave, or very stupid to cast a border-line dark arts spell in the middle of Hogwarts." Draco's eyes shifted slightly. Harry glanced at the immobile Moody. The man's expression was scrutinizing, but he didn't seem to mind the spell's use. Harry shrugged and flexed his fingers.

"Three." He whispered, pointing two fingers at Malfoy's shoes.

"Necto!" Harry smirked as Draco's shoelaces tied themselves together; the suddenness of the spell caused his feet to snap together sharply, unbalancing the boy and sending him crashing to the floor.

The class – at least the Gryffindor side – laughed at Malfoy's struggles. Harry simply stood waiting for him to get to his feet. Draco finally managed to sever his shoelaces, apparently unable to end the charm and got to his feet.

If looks good kill, Harry thought, seeing the boy's glare. Apparently he _could_ give Snape a run for his money in the evil looks contest.

"REDUCTO!" Malfoy yelled.

Harry ducked and sidestepped the curse, and felt pieces of stone rain down on him from the wall behind him. His opponent didn't spare him much time before sending the next curse his way.

"Stupify!"

Harry spun, letting his robes billow, and the red light tore through the cloth, connecting with the wall. He eyed the burn mark left behind. Malfoy was putting a lot of power into his spells.

"Cobritus Recupero!"

Harry's eyes widened for the second time as a black snake shot out of Malfoy's wand towards him. He raised his arms in front of his face, letting the snake impact his forearms. He felt the sharp pain of the bite, and winced. The serpent coiled itself around his arms tightly, its fangs still imbedded. Harry knelt, holding his arms out and keeping the writhing, hissing snake away from his face and throat. He allowed his tongue to relax, and let out a low keening hiss. It was a soothing sound, and he dearly hoped that it would be enough to subdue the enraged snake. He didn't want to reveal that he was a Parseltongue, but such a simple sound shouldn't implicate him.

It was enough, to Harry's relief. The snake slowly calmed down, and released its tight hold on his arms. Harry made the same sound again, letting the serpent hear the calming sound.

The snake raised its head, swiveling its eyes around before making its way up Harry's arm and settling around his chest. He let it find the warmth it sought, suppressing the odd feeling he got from scales against his skin.

He took a glance around the room, seeing the shocked faces of the class staring back at him. Draco's wand was clasped loosely at his side. Harry cocked his head at him for a moment before making a quick motion with his hand.

"Expelliarmus." He said calmly, and caught the boy's wand, much to Malfoy's astonishment.

Harry turned to Moody and raised an eyebrow. The man's eyes – both of them – didn't leave him, and Harry felt the suspicion practically rolling off the Auror in waves.

When Moody still hadn't spoken, Harry threw the wand back to Malfoy, noticing absently that the boy barely caught it, before turning and heading for the door.

"Apprentice," Moody growled after him.

Harry turned and looked at him expectantly.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Infirmary," Harry said, raising his bitten forearm. The bite was already red and puffy. "I need a Detoxin to help with the poison's effects; I'd rather not be stricken with the fever I'd get otherwise."

"And the snake." Moody sneered.

"Is currently quite content where it is." Harry met the man's hard gaze, knowing exactly what he was thinking. His suspicions were correct.

"And you know this how?"

"Because it hasn't bitten me again."

The old Auror apparently didn't have a response for this, so Harry turned and left the classroom. He made his way to the hospital wing, one hand tightly clasped around his arm, trying to slow the circulation and stem off the worst of the poison.

The snake's venom wasn't deadly, but it was still poisonous and would cause no small amount of discomfort. If he could deal with the poison's effects, he would avoid the hospital wing altogether. He really wasn't fond of the place. He suspected his dislike was from spending far too much time in it.

He entered the infirmary and found Madam Pomfrey in her office.

"What happened to you?" she asked, guiding him to one of the beds.

He didn't even try to resist; he knew it wasn't any use.

"I got bit by a snake." He said, showing off his forearm. "If you could just give me a Detoxin, I'll get out of your way."

"Where on earth did you find a poisonous snake, Mr. Elddir?" the woman demanded, as she searched through a cabinet.

"The Defense classroom."

She paused in her search and looked at him with raised brows. He shrugged and she returned to the cabinet. She no doubt got all kinds of stories about how the students ended up with their injuries. He didn't need to elaborate, she could probably guess well enough.

Harry accepted the offered potion and downed the contents in one gulp.

"I won't be able to close the wounds," Pomfrey said, wrapping his arm in gauze, "The venom needs to work itself out of your body, and the way it went in is the best way for it to go out."

"Makes sense."

"Now stay right there, young man. You aren't to move until I make sure you're not going to get worse."

"I'll be fine, Madam. All I needed was the Detoxin."

"Nonsense. You're staying right here where I can keep an eye on you. I'll not have my patients wandering around the school making things worse."

Harry sighed. There was no arguing with the woman. "Very well." He said, "I'll stay here until I'm no longer in any critical condition." That was a safe promise. He wasn't in critical condition at all, so he could leave as soon as the hovering hen went away.

The MediWitch eyed him suspiciously, and Harry put on his most innocent face.

"Very well. I'll be in my office, I have paperwork to finish. Call me if you feel any discomfort; any at all."

"Yes, ma'am."

Harry watched the woman return to her office with amusement.

"Time to go." He whispered, swinging off the bed. He tip toed his way towards the door, keeping one eye on the office, hoping that the MediWitch hadn't put some kind of monitoring charm on him.

Apparently luck wasn't on his side.

"Mr. Elddir!" was heard up and down the corridor as Harry bolted out the door.

* * *

Harry wandered down the corridors, still grimacing at the taste of the Detoxin. He sent a scowl back towards the direction of the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey had bustled around him like some kind of vulture, which greatly annoyed him. He was used to Helga tutoring him in healing, not treating him like some wayward student. If he had his own supply of potions he wouldn't have even gone to the Infirmary. That was going to have to be rectified; soon.

He sighed and headed off towards the dungeons. Snape wasn't going to be pleased. Harry knew darn well that Moody had no such permission to haul him off to the defense class. He briefly considered avoiding the volatile potions master, but decided that evasion would only make the situation worse.

"From one evil to another." He muttered, "What a morning."

Harry reached the potions classroom and glanced inside. It looked like a second or third year class of Ravenclaws. Most of the cauldrons were smoking a light pink color, except one, which was puffing a sickly green shade. Snape was looming over the kid like some kind of dark predator, sneering and spitting out a list of his failures.

Harry grimaced and decided that it would be safer to wait outside.

He settled himself inside a small alcove across from the classroom, and stroked the snake still wrapped around his chest and arm. How Malfoy got a hold of a serpent summoning charm, he had no idea, though he had a few suspicions. What really bothered him was where he got a Diamond Head Cobra. The rarity and value of the snake was well known to Harry. Salazar wasn't just a Parselmouth, he was well versed in serpent lore, and made sure that Harry learned it.

Harry was also very familiar with the snake itself. He already bore the scar of a Diamond's bite. Salazar had a few within his den, and 'introduced' them to Harry in a rather aggressive manner; by throwing one at him. The serpent had not been happy, and made sure that its displeasure was known.

His thoughts were interrupted as the potions class exited rapidly. Harry smiled, amused at how quickly the students disappeared from the hallway. He stood as the last of them turned the corridor, and approached the classroom. He could here Snape muttering darkly as he cast cleaning spells. This is going to be fun, Harry thought sarcastically.

He stood silently in the doorway, waiting for the man to notice him; or rather acknowledge that he was there as Harry was pretty sure that Snape _had_ noticed him; probably as soon as he entered the dungeons.

"Enter, Apprentice." He snapped. Harry obeyed, and leaned against one of the desks.

Snape stiffly seated himself behind his desk. Harry waited for the man to set the tone of the conversation.

"Care to tell me where you went off to this morning?"

Harry was a bit surprised. He had expected the man to be a bit more…malicious.

"The defense classroom."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, you were Apprenticed under me, not Professor Moody."

"Yes, sir, which is why I followed his instructions, as he had gained your – permission – to use me for a demonstration in his class."

"Indeed."

Harry hummed agreement.

"What sort of demonstration?"

"Dueling." Harry said. "He paired everyone in the class to test them. I dueled the odd one out."

Snape nodded, apparently thinking. Harry was still trying to get over his shock at Snape's quick acceptance of his morning disappearance. Harry shifted slightly as the snake uncoiled and slithered its head out of the collar of his shirt. He lifted its tickling tongue away from his neck and let it settle itself on his shoulder.

"A Diamond Head." Snake said softly, eyeing the serpent. Recognition passed in his eyes as he studied it, which peaked Harry's curiosity. He pulled the serpent out of his shirt, and it coiled around his arm, tasting the air around it.

"A Green Diamond Head Cobra," Harry said softly, running a finger along the edge of the green diamond on the serpents head, "It's near its change; the green color is becoming yellowish. Its venom will become more dangerous as it ages."

"You know about serpents?"

"Salazar taught me serpent lore, yes." Harry said. "He also taught me what snake charming skills I have, which I am again thankful for. This little bugger was not happy after Malfoy summoned it."

"It's Draco's then." Snape said. He didn't seem surprised.

Harry studied him. Snape apparently knew where Draco had got the Cobra, and wasn't the least bit surprised that he had used it against someone.

"Yes." Harry said, "I was a bit surprised that he had access to one. Do you know where he got it? He didn't conjure it. He actually used an advanced summoning charm."

Snape shook his head, though Harry knew that the potions master had an answer. The man recognized the snake not as a Diamond Head, but as something that he had seen before. No doubt he was present when the Malfoy heir received his rather interesting gift. Harry dearly wanted to know who gave the boy such a rare snake. He had it narrowed down to a few suspects, but he needed more to go on. Perhaps he'd have to have a little chat with the Slytherin Prince.

"Were you bitten?" Snape asked.

"Yes, but I already got a Detoxin from Pomfrey."

Snape started, "A simple Detoxin isn't enough for that bite!"

"It is for me." Harry said, watching the man with interest. He actually seemed concerned, sort of. "The Detoxin will take the edge off the poison so I won't take to a fever. It simply helps my body's own defenses fight it. I don't actually need it. I could get by without one, though uncomfortably."

Harry could see the question in the man's eyes.

Harry sighed, wondering how many times they would go through this routine: show off a scar and tell the story behind it just to appease overly curious Potions Masters. Harry laid the snake in his lap and tugged the collar of his shirt to the side, baring the scar of his first bite from a Diamond Head; his Immunity Mark.

"One of Salazar's own Diamond Heads was a white." Harry began, "He made sure that I got a good dose of its venom. Diamond Head Cobras are magical snakes, and their markings change color as they age. This coloration indicates the type of venom and its potency that it carries. A Diamond Head becomes a white after hundreds of years; its bite grants immunity to snake venom, rather than causing harm or death, like most of the other colorations." Harry let his shirt fall, and grimaced. "Of course it still knocked me out for nearly a week." He grumbled. "Salazar was pleased."

Harry pet the serpent absently, entirely too interested in Snape's apparent amusement at his past discomfort by the Founder. Figures, he thought dryly. Snape isn't the head of Slytherin house for nothing. He fit his post very well; almost too well. Snape and Salazar were eerily similar.

"And here I thought I had finally gotten away from him." Harry mumbled.


	6. Familiar Trouble

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry pet the serpent absently, entirely too interested in Snape's apparent amusement at his past discomfort by the Founder. Figures, he thought dryly. Snape isn't the head of Slytherin house for nothing. He fit his post very well; almost too well. Snape and Salazar were eerily similar.

"And here I thought I had finally gotten away from him." Harry mumbled.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Six**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Familiar Trouble**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

If Harry thought that Snape wasn't going to punish his Apprentice for following after Moody, he soon found himself to be wrong, dreadfully wrong.

"Come, Apprentice." Snape said and led him through his office and private lab into an open chamber. Harry glanced around, quickly noticing the racks of weapons along the far wall. Harry was a bit surprised. Apparently the man did do more than stoop over cauldrons for all hours of the day.

Snape crossed to the racks, throwing his heavy over-robe over a chair and pulling two medium sized swords from their places.

"You stated last night that you knew how to fence, do you stand by your word?" Snape said.

"Yes." Harry said and shed his robe. He uncoiled the snake from his arm and laid it within the confines of his robe on the floor. He had a pretty good idea what was about to occur. Godric had often faced him with blades, as a punishment. Harry would take the beating he always got without a word. While each encounter was an exhausting experience, it helped him to improve his skills, so he didn't mind them so much.

Snape narrowed his eyes at him for a moment before tossing one of the swords in his direction. Harry stepped to the side and caught it in his right hand, letting the sword's weight carry it in a loose arc.

Snape stepped forwards and Harry faced him. Two duels in one day, Harry thought, and all before lunch.

The professor didn't give him any warning; not that Harry was really expecting one. The man lunged, and Harry deflected the downward slash of the sword off to the side. He took a swipe with his own. He was predictably blocked and forced to counter another attack.

If Harry didn't know better, which really was debatable, he would have sworn that Snape was trying to take off his head. He side stepped away from another slash of the man's sword. Snape was surprisingly quick on his feet.

"Parry, Elddir!" Snape snarled, slashing at him with his sword. Harry parried the attack, stepping back out of the sword's reach.

"I am!"

"Not good enough!"

Snape lunged and Harry barely deflected the attack away from his middle. The potions master didn't give him time to retaliate. Harry struggled a bit with the heavy sword, raising the length of steel in defense of the flurry of attacks directed at him. Their swords clashed hard, sending a sharp wave of vibrations up his arm. Harry grunted.

Snape stepped away from him, letting his sword rest easily in his hand. Harry lowered the point of his own, though he didn't relax. If he had learned anything with the founders, it was to never lower you guard around a Slytherin.

"You had claimed to know sword fighting, Elddir." Snape said.

"I do."

"Not very well!"

Harry lifted his lip in a silent snarl, but held in the acidic comment that came to mind.

"Prove your worth, Apprentice!"

"Fine." Harry said and promptly switched the sword into his left hand and pulled a long knife from his hip sheath into his right. He held the knife backwards, letting the slightly curved blade align with his forearm. He had learned to handle a sword with both hands, but he was better with the longer blade to his left. He honestly wasn't sure why, but he didn't complain. It also tended to throw his opponents off, as Harry was generally right handed.

Snape raised an eyebrow at him but didn't comment on the extra weapon. The man didn't say that he couldn't use it. He had set no rules, and Harry rarely bothered to follow common courtesies. After all, no one did in the middle of a real fight.

"Whenever you're ready, Apprentice." Snape sneered, motioning slightly for him to attack.

Harry let the man bait him, and he stepped forwards, swinging his sword before him, testing. Snape easily avoided the blade, returning the swing. Harry leaned back; feeling the tip of the blade cut the air before his nose. As soon as the sword passed him, he lunged, stabbing towards the man's chest. Snape reversed the path of his sword with remarkable speed and cut off the boy's attack.

Harry swung his sword in a diagonal arc, and while Snape blocked it he stepped in close and brought his right arm in across his chest. His knife cut through the fabric of the man's vest before Snape stepped back.

Harry let a small smile grow, as Snape scowled darkly and retaliated.

Harry blocked the attack with his knife, pushing the sword away from him. He then spun, letting the momentum carry his attack and Snape barely ducked before being beheaded. Harry stepped to the side and brought his sword up for another attack.

But he had forgotten to watch Snape's feet.

The man's boot connected forcefully to his side, sending him to the ground. Before he could move to rise, Snape's sword was pointed at his neck. Harry stilled.

"Who taught you?" Snape asked.

Harry swallowed and felt the sharp edge of the blade against his throat. "Godric."

"Well, that explains it." Snape mumbled.

"He was an excellent Swordsmaster."

"Indeed."

Harry eyed the length of metal still pressed against his neck. "Yes." He said, "Though I am not."

"That's painfully obvious, Apprentice."

"Yea, well," Harry shrugged slightly, "I've other talents."

"Such as?"

Harry tilted his head to the side, away from Snape's sword. He smirked slightly and swiped his leg under the potions master. Snape lost his footing and struggled to stay standing. His stumbling gave Harry the time to rise. He dropped the sword and pulled another knife from his belt.

He didn't give his teacher time to prepare before he lunged. He knocked the sword to the side and stepped right under the man's defenses. Snape swung his blade around, but Harry blocked it and twisted the man's arm around to the back, and the sword clattered to the floor. Stepping around behind him and pulling Snape's arm up, Harry pushed his second knife across the man's throat.

"Knives." He said in his ear. "Even against a sword, I can wield knives and win."

Harry kept a careful eye on the man's free arm. He wouldn't put it past him to try something nasty. If the Gryffindor founder would pull another blade to stab him with, than Snape was sure to, although Harry rather thought that it would be a potion or something.

He was right.

Snape's hand crept towards his belt. Harry pushed his knife harder against his throat.

"I wouldn't do that, Professor." Snape froze.

"Do you yield?" Harry asked. When the man didn't acknowledge him, Harry pulled his arm up, putting additional pressure on his shoulder. Snape naturally tried to bend to accommodate, but that only caused Harry's knife to press into his neck harder.

"Do you yield?"

Snape nodded. Harry waited for a moment before releasing him and stepping back a few paces. Snape slowly rotated his shoulder, as he picked up the two swords and returned them to their places.

"Did Godric teach you the knives as well?"

"No." Harry said, sheathing his blades. "Rowena did."

Snape snapped his head around to stare at him. Harry didn't acknowledge it as he pulled his robe back on. He let the snake make its way back into his shirt to curl around his chest.

"Rowena taught you how to fight with knives?" Snape said incredulously.

"Did you think that she couldn't wield a weapon?" Harry asked, finally turning to the man.

If he was honest with himself, he had been caught completely off guard as well when the Ravenclaw founder began to teach him, although he really shouldn't have been. The woman was as brilliant as all the legends say, but she didn't spend all her time within a library. She had quite a harsh streak as well. When you got on her bad side she got even, and when she did, she was ruthless. After the first time Harry was on the receiving end of her revenge, he did everything in his power to avoid it a second time.

Luckily he had succeeded; barely.

Harry eyed the still staring man. Apparently Snape had been shocked quite a bit by that little bit of information.

"I had expected one of the others to teach such a subject." He said, softly.

"Salazar knew how to play with knives as well," Harry volunteered, "and I did face him numerous times, but Rowena was the one to instruct me. Salazar just tested me."

Snape nodded as he slipped his robe back over his shoulders.

"Very well. Lunch is in a few minutes, you may go." Snape said, "But return here afterwards."

"Yes sir." Harry said and made his way out of the dungeons.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry had returned to the potions class as instructed, only to find that he was to be locked in Snape's private lab to clean cauldrons. Apparently, his Master didn't believe he had been punished enough.

As if it was his fault that Moody decided to be a suspicious bastard.

He guessed that it was close to dinner; at least his stomach told him it was, when there was a commotion from the direction of the classroom. Harry dropped the half clean cauldron and passed through Snape's office.

He stopped dead in the doorway and eyed the scene before him with horror; absolute horror.

The class was in chaos.

Half the fourth year students where pressed against the walls, while the others were either frozen in their seats from fear, or hiding under their tables. Snape was standing off to one side, staring in shock. Harry knew how he felt.

In the center of the classroom stood a magnificent beast. At least it would have been if it was seen from a distance, not in the middle of a children's class. As it was, he understood why the students were frightened.

It was a Griffin; a small one, still quite young, but a Griffin none the less. Even one so young could be a dangerous threat if provoked or cornered.

That would explain why the class was scrambling to get clear of it, though it didn't even come up to Harry's knees. The interesting thing about it was its coloration. Where normally Griffins were a golden or brown color, this one was a dark, dusky gray, with gold eyes.

Harry knew this creature.

He groaned and banged his head against the doorframe. Repeatedly.

Apparently that got Snape's attention.

"Elddir!"

Harry didn't bother to raise his head, but turned it enough to see the now fuming potions master.

"Do you know anything about…this?" he said, waving dramatically at the class around him.

"Would you believe me if I said no?" he asked hopefully.

Snape seethed and glared at him.

"I guess not." Harry raised his head and eyed the Griffin. "Cineris, what are you doing here?"

The Griffin turned to look at him. Harry tried to look stern, but he wasn't sure if he was pulling it off. The sight of a child Griffin in the middle of a semi-destroyed potions class was just too funny for him to be serious.

"_How_ did you get here?" he asked. Harry stared at the creature as an image of it walking through the halls entered his mind. "You walked. Just like that?" The Griffin nodded. Harry heaved a sigh and turned back to the doorframe to continue trying to get the whole situation out of his head. Regretfully, the banging only seemed to give him a headache.

"Mr. Elddir." Snape said, "Would you care to explain?"

"Not really." Harry mumbled.

"Do it anyway." The man snapped.

"Cineris is my familiar, Professor." Harry said pulling away from the doorframe again. "He is an Ash Griffin, rather rare, but there he is."

Cineris held his head up proudly, and all but strutted across the classroom towards Harry. "He's also a spoilt little brat who doesn't know how to follow directions…or refuses to." He said. The Griffin huffed indignantly and stuck its beaked nose even higher into the air. Harry was sure that if he could, the Griffin would have stuck its tongue out at him.

Harry glanced around the classroom at the students, most of whom no longer looked terrified, thankfully, but none of them had moved yet. Some of the girls were eyeing the little Griffin with adoring eyes.

Harry snorted in amusement. Of course Cineris was cute; he was the equivalent to a human toddler; in every way. Regretfully, that included the tendency to get into any kind of trouble it could with little effort.

"Cin, you're in trouble, just so you know." The Griffin looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Don't try that with me! I specifically asked you not to disrupt the classes. You shouldn't even be inside the school! What happened to exploring the grounds?"

Cin sent him an image of the burly half giant, Hagrid, eyeing the little Griffin with glee. It was a rather disturbing picture.

"Ah, I don't think I blame you." Harry said, wide eyed. Cin perked up and looked delighted. "But you're still in trouble."

Harry turned from the Griffin, who was at least looking, or acting, properly chastised, and met Snape's eyes.

"I apologize, sir. I had asked him to remain outside the castle until I could introduce him to the school, but apparently Hagrid scared him off a little and he decided to come find me."

Snape didn't say anything; he simply seethed and glared from where he stood. Harry shifted a bit, and averted his eyes. He was in trouble.

"Er, I'll just take him back outside." Harry said, "Come on, Cin." The little Griffin walked over to him and crawled up his side, his sharp claws clinging to Harry's thick robes, until he was settled over his shoulders. Harry was thankful that Cin's claws didn't catch the serpent still curled up in his shirt. Luckily, the snake had most of its coils knotted in front of his stomach.

Harry walked out of the classroom, avoiding Snape's death glare and escaped the dungeons as quickly as he could. As he reached the main level the last bell rang through the school, announcing the end of classes. Deciding that it would be a good idea to avoid Snape for a while, Harry opted to skip dinner, as all the Professors were required to attend. He made his way out the main doors just as the stampede of students came down the stairs.

Harry sighed in relief and walked lazily towards the lake. Cin clung to his robes, but was stretched up, his wings outstretched in excitement. Harry chuckled.

"I suppose we could at least utilize our time out here well, huh Cin?" The Griffin sent him an image of one of their flying lessons. Harry laughed again. "Alright, alright, we'll work on your flying."

Harry stopped in the middle of the grounds where there was a large space around them. The Griffin was still too young to be able to fly, but Cin had managed to hover around a bit during their lessons, which the little bugger had insisted on having.

Harry kneeled, and Cin jumped to the ground, flapping his wings excitedly. Looking to make sure they were alone, Harry hissed at the snake as he pulled it out of his shirt.

"ss,You are a speaker, man-child!,ss" the snake said.

"ss,Yes, I am Harry.,ss"

The serpent flicked its tongue out at him, tasting him. Harry watched it, waiting for the verdict.

"ss,I am called Saire. I will stay with you,ss"

"ss,You do not want to return to Draco?,ss"

"ss,Who?.ss"

Harry chuckled, "ss,The white haired little twerp that summoned you,ss"

"ss,I will stay with you, Shay,ss"

"ss,I am honored, Saire,ss" Harry said, surprised at the name the snake called him. All of Salazar's serpents had called him Shay as well. Salazar denied knowing the name's meaning, nor where the snakes came up with it, but Harry had just assumed that the founder didn't want to tell him. Apparently, Shay was his name in Parseltongue. At least that was his best guess, as none of the serpents he talked to would tell him why they called him that either.

"Come on over here, Cin. Let me introduce you to Saire." Harry called his Griffin.

"ss,Saire, this is my familiar, Cineris,ss"

Harry held the serpent before the Griffin. The two eyed each other warily, the snake flickering her tongue out while Cin extended his neck, sniffing. Harry smiled.

"ss,I will accept him,ss" Saire said after a moment, pulling herself up into a regal pose.

"Cin?"

The Griffin nodded and sat back on his haunches.

"Good." Harry said, delighted. "Try to get along, you two."

Harry sat Saire on the ground, and stood up.

"ss,Saire, I'm going to transform to give Cin a flying lesson. Do you want to wait here, or would you like to hunt and meet us later?,ss"

"ss,I will stay and watch,ss"

Harry nodded. "Alright, Cin, you ready?" At the Griffin's eager nod Harry transformed into his combined animagus form. The bonus of being one of the Heirs is that each are gifted with two animal forms. Additionaly, they are taught how to combine their two forms to create a third, and even to combine one, or both of their animal forms with their human form.

Harry had loved it, especially once he learned of his forms.

He was a dark brown Falcon, and a small leopard like animal called a Margay that was about as tall as his knees. He combined the two by adding his Falcon wings and talons onto his cat form, thus creating a rather unique creature that resembled a Griffin to some extent.

It had thrilled Cin to no end.

Harry watched Cin jump around him, eliciting an annoyed hiss from Saire when he got to close to her. Harry stepped away from the serpent, giving himself room to stretch his wings. He sent a growl towards the hyper Griffin. Cin settled down somewhat and posed himself across form him. Harry extended his wings, watching as Cin copied his movements.

In his combined form, Harry was about half again as tall as the Griffin cub. They had similar builds, as both Margay's and Ash Griffins were slender, compared to the Golden Griffins, or lions who had a stockier body build.

Harry nodded and Cin jumped into the air, pumping his wings. He struggled to stay airborne, but only managed to hover around six feet up before dropping to the ground. Harry chuckled to himself and leapt into the air over his Griffin.

Cin growled at him as he flew in a lazy circle. Harry swept low, batting the Griffin on the head with his long tail, before dodging up into the sky as Cin tried to pounce on him. Harry growled softly and flew low over the ground. The young Griffin jumped into the air again, flapping his wings frantically in order to go after Harry.

It was how they went through every lesson. Harry would fly low over the ground while Cin would try to tag him. Of course in order to reach Harry, the Griffin would have to get high enough in the air for a long enough time in order to reach him.

The game frustrated the Griffin cub more often than not, but they both got a lot of fun out of it too. Plus, Cin had improved immensely since they had started, especially since he shouldn't be able to fly for another year or so.

They continued their game until Cin started to tire out and was no longer able to remain in the air at all. Harry circled once more before transforming back to his human form; though he let his wings remain.

It was by far his favorite form. Godric said it made him look like some kind of dark angel with his dark brown wings. Harry was just happy he didn't have white wings. Looking like an angel poster child would have done nothing for his unwanted Boy-Who-Lived image.

He swept low, skimming the grass with his hand, and scooped up Cin as he passed over him. The cub clung to his arms and Harry turned sharply up into the sky, increasing his speed as he rose.

Cin longed to fly, as was his nature, but until the Griffin cub was big enough, he wouldn't be able to, So Harry gave him the next best thing.

Since both of Harry's animal forms were small, he was unable to carry Cin unless in his human form. Luckily his magic allowed his falcon's wings to grow large enough in order to carry his body, easily stretching seven to eight feet on either side of him.

It was better than flying on a broom.

Being able to carry oneself without the aid of a broomstick or other instrument was a thrilling experience, and Harry loved every minute of it.

Reaching a height that made the castle seem small, Harry turned and dove back towards the ground. Cin gave a yelp and dug his claws into his arms. Harry grinned, watching the ground rush up to meet them. At the last minute he twisted and turned back up into the sky. He felt his feet skim the ground and let out a yell. Soaring over the field at top speed, Harry let himself go, and reveled in the feeling of freedom that flying always gave him.

After a few more loops and small dives Harry landed, folding his wings loosely at his side. He set the Griffin down, and Cin plopped bonelessly to the ground.

"Have fun, Cin?" Harry chuckled.

The cub gave a weary huff, which caused Harry to laugh again. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

Harry lifted the cub and placed him on his shoulder. Cin draped his slender body across his shoulders behind his neck, purring loudly in his ear. Harry scratched the Griffin behind the ears as he looked around him, wondering where Saire was.

That's when he noticed about half of the school's population out on the grounds staring at him. He stared right back, blinking rather stupidly.

"Eh, hello." He said.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	7. Ministry Discussions

**Author's Note:** I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed. I had no idea that I would get such a response from this, especially as they're all so positive. Perhaps it's about time, eh? So, thanks.

Kudos to RaquelAlexandra who was the first to figure out that Elddir is the reverse of Riddle. You won't get the explanation for why until later on in the story though.

Also, just to reiterate, this is not going to be slash. People keep asking me that…

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time **

* * *

Harry lifted the cub and placed him on his shoulder. Cin draped his slender body across his shoulders behind his neck, purring loudly in his ear. Harry scratched the Griffin behind the ears as he looked around him, wondering where Saire was. 

That's when he noticed about half of the school's population out on the grounds staring at him. He stared right back, blinking rather stupidly.

"Eh, hello." He said.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir **

**Part Seven**

**

* * *

Ministry Discussions **

* * *

"Good evening, Darion!" the Headmaster said walking over to join him. 

"Hello, Albus. Er, Sorry for interrupting dinner."

Albus chuckled. "Not to worry, I'm sure they didn't mind."

Harry surveyed the crowd. The students and professors all wore varying degrees of surprise, shock or open astonishment. Harry grimaced. "I'm sure."

Harry looked around the yard, searching for the serpent. He found her a few yards away, making her way over to him. He stepped over to her and let her slither up his arm and back into his shirt.

"Hello, Cineris!" the Headmaster cooed, petting the Griffin on its head. Harry eyed him with concern. It shouldn't be natural for the man to actually _coo_. Cin snapped his beak irritably, though Albus didn't seem to notice the creature's annoyance.

"Severus seemed a little agitated at dinner; I don't suppose you know why?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Like you don't know what goes on in the school, Albus. You know very well why Snape is stalking around like a veritable thundercloud."

"I suppose I do." Albus chuckled. "Would like to join me for tea?"

"Sure. The longer I avoid the dungeons, the more likely I'll be able to keep my head attached to my shoulders."

Harry followed the Headmaster through the crowd and into the school. He glanced back at the still staring students. It was starting to get on his nerves. He couldn't figure out why they wouldn't stop.

"It's your wings, Darion." Albus chuckled.

"Huh?"

"Your wings."

"Oh!" Harry stretched his wings out a bit. He had forgotten that he didn't transform them away. No wonder everyone was staring at him. He paused and closed his eyes, changing back to his fully human form, minus additional appendages. He smiled at the Headmaster.

"Lead the way, Bill!"

* * *

By the time Harry got away from the Headmaster he was about three cups of tea and five sandwiches heavier. He smirked and tossed a bag of candies in the air from one hand to the other. And Albus was one bag of lemon drops lighter. He wondered how long it would take the old man to notice the missing candies.

* * *

Harry sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table the next morning half awake, and nursing a cup of strong tea trying to get the other half of his brain working. He wasn't all that fond of mornings, really.

He looked up as the owl post came. One rather ratted brown owl skidded across the table in front of him, sending bacon and eggs flying. Saire reared her head and hissed menacingly from his neck.

"ss.You stupid feather-brained fowl!. Learn how to land, or I'll be sure you don't fly again.ss"

Harry eyed the serpent, warily. She had a mean streak worse than he had seen in any other serpent besides Salazar's infant Basilisk. Harry ran two fingers down her head, calming her, and she settled down back into his robes.

Harry eyed the owl, who was trying to right itself from the middle of a dish of potatoes. He grimaced and plucked the clumsy bird from the table.

"Is this yours?" he addressed the young boy across from him. The boy nodded, eyeing the owl.

"Sorry about that, he's a bit loony really."

Harry chuckled. "No problem. Just let me borrow your paper when you're done, and all's forgiven."

"You can have it now, I don't usually read it."

Harry collected the rolled paper from the owl before handing the bird over to the boy. "Thanks." He mumbled, already skimming the front page.

There was a brief article on the bottom of the second page saying that the Boy-Who-Lived was still missing, and that the resources used in searching for him had - again - been cut in half.

"Well, glad to know that I'm worth the effort." He mumbled dryly.

To his surprise, and relief, there were no reports of Death Eater activity, or even odd deaths. There wasn't even an article about his rather unique entrance into the middle of the feast, though he had no doubts that the students wrote home to their parents about it. Voldemort was bound to hear of it soon, and the Dark Lord would have no problems recognizing him. 'Darion' was rather easy to identify, especially with his collection of scars and wandless ability. Harry honestly wondered if good ole Voldemort would be able to put two and two together and get four. Really, if anyone bothered to look at him, Darion did look remarkably similar to their lost golden boy. He personally thought that his eyes gave him away. They were the same unnatural shade of green as always. Perhaps his lack of glasses and long hair threw people off.

A commotion at the other end of the table broke Harry out of his thoughts. He glanced down towards the noise, noticing that a number of students had leapt away from the table with a yell. Others were perched precariously on their benches, their feet tucked up under them, and glancing fearfully under the table.

"What is going on?" he mumbled, watching as the wave of disorder progressed towards him. He heard a rumbling growl from below the table and he felt his stomach sink to the general vicinity of his feet.

He bent over, and peered under the table in time to see a streak of dark fur leap at him.

His heart joined his stomach.

The ball of fur collided with his chest, and Harry was propelled backwards. He scrambled wildly for purchase and let out a startled yell as he fell to the floor. He lay staring up at the ceiling in a daze, wondering why his chest felt constricted.

"Uh, are you ok, mate?"

Harry blinked and focused on the concerned face of one of the younger Ravenclaw boys. Harry nodded and lifted his head to look at the weight on his chest. He groaned and let his head fall back to floor.

"Cin!"

The Griffin gave an excited yelp and pranced around on his stomach.

"ss.Imprudent, brainless hairball!.ss" Saire hissed menacingly.

Cin shot a low hiss at the snake, which Saire returned quite happily.

Harry blinked for a moment. He didn't know the Griffin could make a hissing noise. He put a hand around the serpent's neck, restricting her from biting the Griffin cub.

"Cin, get off!" Harry waved his hand at the cub. "What do you want, anyways?" Harry watched with amusement and some trepidation as Cin jumped up onto the table and started to pick through the dishes of food.

"Hey!" he scrambled to his feet to stop the wayward Griffin. Sensing his intentions, Cin leapt into the air, flapping his wings furiously to avoid Harry's wild grab, knocking over dishes and plates in the process. "Cin, stop that, you're making a mess!"

"Good morning Darion!"

Harry turned from his position on top of the bench, and looked at the Headmaster.

"Morning, Bill. What can I do for you?" Albus glared at him over his spectacles, an image that Harry wasn't sure he had ever seen before. Harry blinked. "Uh, Headmaster?" Albus smiled. Ah, so that was the problem. Harry smirked. Albus still didn't like being called Bill.

"May I steal you away for a bit, Darion?"

"Yea, sure thing." Harry darted a hand out and nabbed the Griffin from where he was perched on top of the table. Cin twisted his body around to wrap his claws and talons around his arm. "You can struggle all you want, Cin, but you're coming with me." Harry motioned for Albus to lead the way before whispering in the Griffin's ear with a smirk. "Besides, this way you can terrorize Fawkes for a while."

Cin stopped struggling and let out a low cackling growl. It was an eerie sound to say the least.

Harry followed the Headmaster to his office silently, making sure to give an adequate glare to the statue guarding the entrance. He didn't trust the stone beast to revert back to its old aggravating ways. For some reason the statue never really like him much.

He still held to 'fact' that it was the statue's fault, and that he hadn't started it.

He had himself all but convinced, too.

"Tea, Darion?" the Headmaster asked, sitting behind his desk.

"No thanks, Albus," Harry smirked, "I don't need a calming potion this early in the morning."

The man looked mildly affronted and Harry's smirk widened. He wondered how many people figured that their benign old Headmaster laced his tea with potions. He would bet that Snape was one of them.

"How are you getting along, Darion?"

"Fine." Harry sprawled himself across an armchair, and let Cin do his own thing. "It's a little odd being here without the Founders, but I'm getting used to it, slowly."

"You have only been back for a couple days."

Harry nodded. "I'm fine."

"Good, good."

Harry glanced at the man. It was hard seeing his once friend over a century older than he remembered. In his own view, Harry had last seen Albus – the younger version – two years ago. For Albus, though, it had been nearly 150 years since they've been together. But for all of Albus's changes over the years, he was still Albus, which meant that he was still the manipulative little sneak that Harry had learned to love as a brother. They had made quite a team, once Harry was able to get the boy out of his rule-following stinch.

He liked to think that he had been a good influence on the future Headmaster.

It must have been the Marauder blood in him.

Harry shook away his thoughts and decided to get to the point. "So what's being done about Voldemort?"

"The Order is working in the shadows of the Ministry to restrict the movement of Tom's forces. Cornelius is restricting the range of the Auror division, though he has updated the defenses around the Ministry building…"

"You mean Fudge is being a self centered bigot and taking half the Auror division for his personal guard, claiming that he's important and vulnerable as the Minister or some such rubbish, and the Order is trying to pick up the resulting slack, and finding themselves sorely lacking."

Albus looked momentarily taken aback, but recovered quickly and nodded slightly.

"I thought as much." Harry let his head fall back and stared up at the vaulted ceiling. "When are you going to get rid of the incompetent fool anyways?"

"Cornelius may be somewhat lacking in the area of preparing for such a situation as we are currently in, but he is still an able politician."

"Cornelius Fudge, oh Minister Extraordinaire, is an idiot." He deadpanned. "And you know it. How much good is he really doing in office besides being someone whom you know you can maneuver to your ideas?"

"If Cornelius is removed, the Ministry would be in a weakened state, and Tom would be too tempted to take advantage of it. We cannot afford the lapse in regulation to instate a new Minister."

"Yes I see your point." Harry said sitting up and meeting the man's eyes. "But the benefits from putting someone in office that will work with us, rather than simply not against us, would out way the possible consequences."

"Providing we can influence the selection."

Harry sat back to think about it. Fudge was at best a self serving politician who would cooperate, so long as he got something good out of the deal and retained his public image. Replacing him with someone who was sympathetic to the Order, or even better, a _member_ of the Order would make collaborations between the two factions much easier. Plus, the Order would no longer be restricted by the Ministry. However, Albus had a point in saying that the Order may not be able to influence the candidates who would run for the position if Fudge was gone. There was always a chance that someone could be elected who supported Voldemort. A rather large chance, regrettably.

"Alright," he said flinging a leg over the arm of the chair again, "I concur. The risks are too great right now to throw Fudge out on his arse, but we should keep close tabs on him still."

"It's already being done. Arthur had a few of his loyal workers switch departments, and are watching the Minister. We also have one of the Order members within his personal guard."

Harry nodded. It would have to do for the time being.

"Any chance that you know where Voldemort is hiding out?" he asked.

"No."

"Expected, I suppose."

"Did Salazar tell you how to defeat him?" Albus asked. Harry blinked and looked at him.

"No. He only told me that my task as an Heir was to get rid of Voldemort, he conveniently left out the part of _how_."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Some, most of them are obscure, and I'm not sure about any of them." He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it out of its neat tie. "It would help if I knew all the rituals that he put himself through. I highly doubt a simple killing curse will be effective. It didn't work last time."

"You never know. The killing curse was rebounded off of you, so it's possible that it lost its full power by the time it hit him."

"That's true. I didn't think of that." Harry looked at him. "Though I think I would rather not test it and find that it rebounds back on me. That would not be pleasant."

"Indeed, it wouldn't."

Harry smiled grimly. Not knowing how to defeat Voldemort was his biggest problem. The fact that the Dark Lord had the resources to make his life very difficult, if not non-existent, didn't help matters any. As simple as Salazar's task for him had been, sometimes it seemed awfully near impossible.

A loud crash and angry squawks startle them both from their thoughts. Harry stood and whirled sharply, his hand outstretched ready to cast spells. The sight that greeted him made him freeze for a moment in shock.

Fawkes' brass bird stand lay across the floor, no doubt the source of the clatter. The Phoenix was hovering in the air, eyes blazing as he snapped his beak at the little Griffin cub, who was also currently hovering in midair, though less steadily.

Harry groaned.

"Cin!" he stalked over to the two magical creatures, keeping a wary eye on the Phoenix. Fawkes was usually a mild mannered bird, but for some reason the two creatures really didn't get along. Apparently a century of aging on Fawkes' end did nothing to dampen the easily roused hostility. Harry was sure that most of the trouble stemmed from the problematical Griffin. Cin was, simply put, trouble with a capital T.

The creature was worse than a human two year old.

Harry ducked as the two circled each other over his head. Fawkes was glaring menacingly at the young Griffin, while Cin chirped back at the bird, clearly enjoying the confrontation. He would, Harry thought.

"Honestly!" Harry exclaimed, "Can't you two just get along?" He jumped up and grabbed the cub's tail, yanking him out of the air. Cin let out a strangled yelp before Harry clamped a hand over his beak. "You antagonistic, little twerp. Don't you know that Fawkes could fry you to a cinder?"

The Pheonix circled Harry's head once before landing on Albus' shoulder, who was sitting comfortably in his chair.

"Thanks for your help." Harry said dryly.

"Ah, I'm much too old to get into the middle of such heated squabbles."

Harry stared at the Headmaster, mildly shocked and a little concerned. He narrowed his eyes suddenly.

"Sure, you admit it when it's convenient for you, huh, old man?" Harry smirked.

Albus just twinkled.


	8. Some Things Never Change

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all my reviewers!

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooO

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooO

The Pheonix circled Harry's head once before landing on Albus' shoulder, who was sitting comfortably in his chair.

"Thanks for your help." Harry said dryly.

"Ah, I'm much too old to get into the middle of such heated squabbles."

Harry stared at the Headmaster, mildly shocked and a little concerned. He narrowed his eyes suddenly.

"Sure, you admit it when it's convenient for you, huh, old man?" Harry smirked.

Albus just twinkled.

oooOoooOoooOoooO

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Eight**

oooOoooOoooOoooO

**Some Things Never Change**

oooOoooOoooOoooO

Harry opted to avoid the dungeons and his Master and so retreated to the relative safety of the Library under the pretense of spell research. Of course he did make a detour to his rooms to lock his troublesome familiar up. He just hoped that he would have a room left by the end of the day.

Cin tended to get bored easily.

He was idly flipping through a book titled "Geneo-Magic: Charms and Rituals in Relation to Blood Heritage". Most of it was about the differences between pureblood and muggleborn wizards and their respective magical powers. It was obvious that the author was from an old pureblood family and the book was filled with more opinions than factual knowledge.

Harry rather thought that it would make a perfect Death Eater-in-Training handbook, and thought that it needed a change in the title. Something along the lines of "Voldemort's Guide to Death Eater Indoctrination and Pureblooded Convictions" sounded about right.

He was seriously considering sending a 'fixed' copy to Voldemort with a note telling him how he didn't qualify.

It would be a perfect hello. Tom would know that Darion had sent it, too. The only problem was that he didn't know where Tom was hiding out.

It was really disappointing.

"Excuse me." a voice pulled him out of his daydreams. He looked up to see Hermione standing over him. "You're Darion Elddir, right?"

"Uh, yea." Harry shifted slightly. He wasn't sure if he was ready to confront his old friends. He hadn't seen them in over five years, and had only known them for the five before that. If he was honest with himself, he didn't feel all that close to them, especially since he was so much older.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Hermione asked, already pulling out a chair. Harry shrugged.

"I was wondering," the girl started, leaning eagerly over the table, "How did you cast those spells yesterday without a wand? I mean, I've seen Headmaster Dumbledore perform some wandless magic, but I didn't know that anyone else could do it. It's supposed to be really difficult. I've read all about it and it's a skill that takes years of practice, and then only those who are powerful enough, and have enough concentration can even hope to accomplish it."

"Wow." Harry stared at her wide-eyed. "You actually managed to say all of that in one breath." Honestly, she expected him to be able to think after that tirade? He was impressed. The girl had one hell of a set of lungs.

And she could blush well, too.

"I'm sorry, it's just…well, I…"

"Hey, don't worry about it." Harry waved her off, "I was just a little daunted is all."

He watched her with a small smile. She was as he remembered her. Her curiosity could surpass any cat's, and her drive to attain answers was what made her so intelligent. Most Ravenclaws didn't have the courage to go after answers that were hard to get, or that could prove to be better left unknown. Hermione, however, had the guts to go after the answers, even if she may not like them. It was this quality that bumped her into Griffindor.

"Technically I don't do wandless magic." He said after a minute.

"What do you mean?"

Harry cocked his head to the side and held up one of his arms so she could see the scar running down its length. She grimaced slightly and he didn't blame her. It wasn't a pretty sight. The scar was jagged and thick, and ran the whole length of his inner forearm, even spreading out to cover his palm. Anyone would be able to tell that it was a painful wound. He was more than willing to attest to that as well.

"About five years ago I needed a new wand." He began, "During the testing I ended up holding two, one in each hand, and they reacted violently to each other. The implosion caused these scars on my arms and the ones on my face. It took hours for the healers to extract all the splinters of wood, but they never found the two cores. I haven't needed a wand since." Harry dropped his hand. "Actually, I can't even use a wand."

"Why not?"

"I seem to short circuit wands if I try to cast spells with them. I suppose it's a handy thing if I ever get a hold of my opponent's wand in a fight."

Harry watched her think that over. He could practically see the gears running, but he couldn't fathom what she might be thinking up.

"I suppose it would be like trying to cast a spell while holding two wands at once." She said thoughtfully, "Or casting a spell through two wands, one and then another."

"That makes sense. I've never really thought on the mechanics before."

"You should! Understanding the theory behind magic can enhance your spell casting abilities."

Harry laughed. "Yes, I know. I never said I didn't know magical theory. I just don't care to experiment casting with multiple wands. I've already had enough experience with that particular area."

"Yes, I suppose so." She grimaced.

They sat in silence for a moment before she jumped up suddenly. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for Charms! I'll see you later Darion."

"Later, Hermione." He said and she dashed out of the library with hardly a glance back to him. He chuckled. She was definitely just as he remembered her to be.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Sometime after lunch Harry finally made his way back down into the bowels of the castle. He veered away from the potions classroom, which was spouting noises that sounded suspiciously like an angry Snape and a spluttering student, and took the long way to his rooms.

As he was about to give the password, the portrait of Salazar spoke up.

"ss,It has been a long time, Heir,ss"

"ss,For you maybe,ss" Harry easily responded in their mutual language.

"ss,Still the same impertinent brat, I see,ss" Salazar sneered.

"ss,Only around you, Salazar. You and yours get special treatment,ss"

"ss,I'm delighted,ss"

"ss,Glad to hear it,ss." Harry said, inspecting the corridor quickly. "ss,I've a question for you, Sal,ss"

"ss,Merlin forbid,ss"

"ss,Stop being so uppity, it's annoying,ss" Harry smirked at the man's silent growl. "ss,Do you know where your wayward descendant is hiding out?,ss"

"ss,Why should I bother to inform you?,ss"

"ss,Stop it!,ss" Harry hissed violently, "ss,I can't kill the man unless I can find him. You're the one who set me this task, and the least you can do is help me with it! He's no longer the promising boy you remember! Tom Riddle died along with his father! He's Voldemort, and he needs to be gotten rid of before he does more damage than can be repaired!,ss"

Harry glared at the portrait, too frustrated to celebrate his victory in shocking the stoic founder, even if it wasn't the real thing.

"ss,I do not know his location,ss" the man said after collecting himself. It had probably been centuries since someone had the guts to talk back so forcefully to the Founder. Harry briefly wondered if he was the only one who ever did.

"ss,You don't know, or you have an idea and are just to bloody stubborn to tell me?,ss"

"ss,Find the arm that holds the sword, and you will find the place he rests his head,ss"

"ss,Damn you and your riddles Salazar!,ss" Harry growled. "ss,Can't you ever give a straight answer?,ss"

"ss,Perhaps next time, Heir, when there are not ears to hear,ss"

"ss,What?,ss"

"Apprentice Elddir!" a voice called from down the hall. Harry started and turned to see Snape all but gliding down the hall. If the man was an animagus, he had had to be a bat. It was far to suiting for it not to be.

"Yes, sir?"

Snape came up to him and eyed him for a moment before giving the password and entering the room. Harry shot a glare at the Founder and followed.

"Where did you run off to this time, Apprentice?" Snape said as he browsed through one of his bookshelves.

"I just went to the library."

"Indeed."

Harry hummed his agreement, but didn't bother to give the man the explanation he was looking for. If Snape wanted to know why he was in the library he would just have to come out and ask.

A few minutes passed before Snape apparently found what he was looking for and turned back to Harry, who was still standing near the door. Snape seemed to study him a moment before speaking. Harry could clearly see the man's curiosity in his eyes.

"What potions do you carry?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"A variety of concoctions that I doubt would be sanctioned by the school board." Harry said. Snape's eyes hardened and Harry decided to forgo the impending argument and answer the question fully. "A variety of poison antidotes, some healing draughts in varying strengths, a couple calming potions, a few blood restoratives, and a truth serum or two." He listed off and for good measure he pulled his robes aside to show off his belt. He wasn't kidding when he said he carried potions. His belt was lined with them all the way around, all contained in small glass vials often used by assassins. Whatever works, Harry thought.

"Why do you carry only antidotes and not poisons?" Snape asked.

"I do carry a few poisons, but mostly antitoxins. I wear my poisons elsewhere." Harry said as he flipped out two of his knives. "Like these two. They are coated with Mikzie's Mortuserum," Snape's eyes widened, "So I see little point in carrying vials of the poison when I have it on my blades."

"You coat your knives with Mikzie's?"

"Among other things." Harry returned his blades to their sheaths.

Snape narrowed his eyes, "Like what?"

"Somniferum, Aconitium Potion, Zeryfias' Serum of Death," Harry ticked them off on his fingers, "Kreition Toxin, Mikzie's Mortuserum, and a few varieties of snake venom that depend on what serpent I can get my hands on at the time."

Snape blinked. "And you can brew all that you carry?"

"Yes."

"You said that your potion skills were mediocre."

"They are." Harry said, not sure where the man was going with his line of questions.

"A mediocre potions maker could not brew Mikzie's, let alone any of the other poisons you listed off."

"You can if you have Salazar Slytherin hovering over you and threatening to test them on you." Harry said with a huff. "As I said before, I can brew all I carry, but that doesn't mean I can brew much else."

"Indeed." Snape stared at him for a few more minutes, and Harry met the look evenly. He didn't know what was going through the potions master's head, but apparently Snape was a bit surprised and no doubt a little skeptical about Darion's potion making skills. Harry would admit that the poisons he used to coat his daggers were difficult to brew, but Salazar had walked him through the procedures for each so many times that he could very nearly brew them in his sleep. Although, ask him to concoct some sort of cleaning potion, or concealing draught and Harry wouldn't have a clue where to even begin.

"I must take a trip to Diagon tomorrow." Snape broke the silence, "If you have need of anything, you are allowed to accompany me."

"Thanks."

"I leave at eight sharp, with or without you."

"Of course." Harry smirked slightly.

Snape nodded and turned on his heal, robes billowing about him as he stalked into his lab, and through to his next class.

"Some things never change." Harry smiled.

He shook his head and went to his room. As soon as he opened the door he wished that he hadn't. He stared at the view dumbfounded as he slid to the floor in defeat. There really was no hope for him, no hope at all.

"Cin!" Harry cried in exasperation.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	9. Meet Bill

**Author's Note: **A huge thank you to all reviewers, and if you didn't know, you make a remarkable impression on an author. I deeply appreciate all of your comments. Thanks.

I have a couple responses to some reviews: Marquerida, I agree with you completely. Yes, wwwendy, that is a key.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

Snape nodded and turned on his heal, robes billowing about him as he stalked into his lab, and through to his next class.

"Some things never change." Harry smiled.

He shook his head and went to his room. As soon as he opened the door he wished that he hadn't. He stared at the view dumbfounded as he slid to the floor in defeat. There really was no hope for him, no hope at all.

"Cin!" Harry cried in exasperation.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Nine**

**

* * *

Meet Bill**

* * *

Harry grumbled darkly as he waved his hands over the various objects in his room, attempting to repair the damage.

"By Merlin!" Snape's voice came from the door. "What happened?"

Harry growled and shot a furious glare towards his restrained familiar. "Cineris here, decided to test out the strength of his claws on the various surfaces around the room. Of course he conveniently forgot that the only substance his claws _can't_ tear is diamond!"

"He decided to test his claws…"

"Yes." Harry hissed, nearly reverting to Parseltongue, and still glaring, "He's lucky I can't declaw him."

"So you tied him up and hung him from the ceiling?"

Harry snarled and turned back to his shredded room. "Would you rather I let him loose in your chambers, Professor?"

"He will be dissected for ingredients if he so much as scratches any of my belongings." Snape said softly, but not without promise.

Harry glanced at the man. Snape was still staring at the chained Griffin, who was currently bound, gagged and hanging upside down from the middle of the room. Harry had taken great pleasure in wrapping the creature in enchanted rope.

Diamond-lined enchanted rope.

He had never been so happy that he was good at transfiguration.

"I think he understands, Professor." Harry turned his gaze to the cub, "Don't you, Cineris?"

The Griffin's beak was tied shut, but he still managed an affirmative noise. Harry nodded and returned to waving his hand over his bureau. The thick wooden doors had been shredded like they were thin cloth. Harry returned to his mutterings, going on about how he thought Griffins were supposed to be smart and all.

"Didn't you learn your lesson last year when you tore through Godric's door, iron reinforcements, wards and all?" Harry said loudly enough for the creature to hear him clearly. "I've told you time and again that your claws can tear through anything you set your mind to. Why do you insist on testing them when you already know the result?" He sent another glare towards his familiar.

Harry finished his repairs on the bureau and moved on to the bookshelves. "Bloody good thing I'm lazy and didn't unpack my books." He mumbled as he began his repairs.

"Dinner, Mr. Elddir." Snape said form the door.

Harry spun around. He had forgotten that the man was there. Snape seemed to be watching his progress with some interest. He figured it was due to his ease of casting spells.

"Of course, sir. I'll be along in a moment."

Snape nodded and with another look around the room spun on his heal and left the rooms.

Harry looked over at his familiar. "I should leave you here, you know."

The Griffin sent him an image of the meal provided in the Great Hall. Harry could easily sense the cub's desire to attend.

"Will you behave?" The Griffin nodded. Harry narrowed his eyes at the creature, assessing whether the young cub could possibly go a couple hours without getting into trouble.

He supposed that anything was possible. Eventually.

"Very well." Harry waved his hand and the chains disappeared. Cin flapped his wings wildly as he fell to the floor. He managed to right himself and landed awkwardly on his feet. "Come on, Cin."

* * *

It was with a very subdued Griffin perched atop his shoulder that Harry finally entered the Great Hall. He sat himself down at the end of the Slytherin table. Cin arranged himself atop the table, and Harry tried to ignore the creature's rather messy eating habits. It was a practice that he had forced upon himself else he lose everything he tried to eat.

Griffin cubs weren't the most polite of eaters.

Snakes on the other hand, prided themselves on their neatness, and Saire was no exception. However, the cobra was much more talkative than most serpents. More opinionated and insulting, too.

Harry listened, highly amused, as Saire berated the Griffin's despicable manners and every other flaw that the snake could come up with. It was an interesting sight, seeing the Griffin send annoyed looks towards the coiled serpent in Harry's robes throughout the meal.

Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry more.

On one hand the two were extremely funny, especially since they seemed to understand each other without any problem. Their antics were a guaranteed source of entertainment for Harry, who could also understand their forms of communication.

On the other hand, however, Cin just couldn't get along with anything. Every creature that had thus far encountered the cub had either tried to attack, kill or maim the creature within ten minutes. Fawkes was a prime example. The Pheonix couldn't stand the obnoxious cub anymore than any of Salazar's serpents.

He didn't know what to do with the cub. He just hoped that Cin would grow out of it somewhat.

He dearly hoped so.

* * *

Harry made his way idly out of the Great Hall some time later with Cin trotting along behind him. Saire had finally become fed up with the cub and would have struck at him if Harry hadn't restrained her. She was now curled tightly around his chest, nearly cutting off his breathing and muttering darkly. He assumed it was the snake's way of showing her displeasure.

As if he could miss it.

Most of the students were still collected in the Hall, enjoying their desserts. As he walked he pulled one of Albus' lemon drops from his pocket and popped the candy in his mouth.

He was only a few meters from the door when his way was blocked by an orange robe. A bright orange robe. Harry's eyes traveled up the swirling blue lines that patterned the fabric, and grimaced.

"You really need to learn how to dress, Bill." He said, still staring at the Headmaster's robes. "That…is just cruel. Cruel and unusual." He pointed to the man's bright clothing. "Where in the world did you pick those up anyways?" Really, the man didn't dress like that when he was with the Founders.

Must be something to do with age. Harry wasn't looking forward to getting old if he was going to go running around in clothes like that.

The man chuckled, and Harry felt his face scrunch up into an odd look. Only Albus would find his somewhat insulting comments worthy of amusement. He probably took them as a compliment rather than an insult. "Barmy. Absolutely mad." He mumbled, moving the hard candy from one cheek to another.

"I've had a number of compliments on my choice of wardrobe, Darion." Albus said.

"I'm sure."

"Now, would you mind returning my lemon drops?" Albus held out a hand. Harry eyed the upturned palm warily.

"What makes you think I have any?"

"Perhaps because you're eating one."

"Mmm." Harry put a finger up to his chin and cocked his head to the side. "What'll you give me for them?"

Albus spluttered at this, and Harry took a second to glance around the hall. Apparently the two of them were much more interesting than dessert. They effectively had the attention of the entire hall.

Harry smirked slightly. A perfect opportunity, and who was he to pass it by?

"Darion." The Headmaster said sternly.

"Mmm? Yes? Did you want something, Bill?" Harry turned an innocent look back to the man.

"My lemon drops, if you will."

Harry sniffed. "You know, you're no fun." He pulled the bag of candies from his robe and tossed them to the man. "Didn't even give me time to properly dope them." He mumbled.

"Indeed."

"Ah, Mr. Elddir?" Harry turned to see McGonagal come up next to him. "May I ask you something?"

"Yea, sure."

"Why do you call the Headmaster 'Bill'?" she asked.

Harry smirked. "What, you don't know?" he turned back to Albus. "You never showed them?"

"Don't bother going into it, Darion, it's hardly important."

"Well I don't know about that." Harry turned back to the Transfiguration professor, who was now joined by Snape and a few others of the staff. "Professor McGonagal here would be duly interested, I'm sure."

"Darion insists on giving people nicknames, I'm afraid." Albus said, popping a lemon drop in his mouth. Harry turned away from him to hide his grin.

"Oh, it's nothing as simple as that." Harry said, "I really can't believe your colleagues don't know Bill."

"What are you going on about, Mr. Elddir?" Snape asked.

"Oh, just an old memory, is all." Albus said.

"Hey! It's an integral part of you and your past." Harry said, waving a finger at him. "It's hardly as insignificant as you're making it out to be."

"Darion…"

"Ah, c'mon, Bill. Show them!" he interrupted.

"I will not…" Albus began but stopped as a surprised look came over him. "Darion…" he said questioningly.

"Yes, Bill?"

"What did you do to my lemon drops?"

Harry smirked widely. "Nothing harmful."

Albus's eyes widened before narrowing dangerously. Harry grinned at him. "I just soaked them in a little potion is all."

"What potion, Apprentice?" Moody growled, turning his eyes menacingly to Harry.

"Animas Revealo."

"Darion…" Albus started but was again silenced as his body began to change. Harry rubbed his hands together in glee, unable to contain his wide grin. It was always good to get one over on Albus Dumbledore. He didn't get the chance to too often.

Especially in front of such a willing audience.

The staff and students watched in a mix of awe and apprehension as their esteemed Headmaster changed into his animagus form. It didn't take long for the transformation to complete itself, and the whole hall was in shock at the revelation.

Harry gestured dramatically over the animal before him. "Hogwarts, meet Bill!" he said in a mock announcers voice. "Or rather, Bill-y Goat." He grinned.

Indeed the animal now standing in the Great Hall was a goat; a brown and white splotched, common farm goat complete with beard and half moon glasses perched on its nose. It gave an annoyed bleat.

"Oh, come off it, Bill." Harry said happily. "You should have known that I would reveal you at some point."

The goat gave an indignant huff and sat back on its haunches. Harry watched, amused, as Cin crawled towards the goat with interest, sniffing at the animal. Albus snapped its teeth at the Griffin cub and Cin gave a squawk and jumped back behind Harry's legs.

"But I thought that he was a lion animagus?" Minerva finally found her voice.

"He is." Harry said. He turned to see her confused look. "All Heirs have two forms. This is just one of Albus' forms. His second is, indeed, a lion." He looked thoughtfully at his old friend. "I am a bit surprised that he never told you, though."

"I see." She said faintly, still staring at the goat. "How long will it last?"

Harry shrugged. "Sometime between ten and twenty minutes I would guess. I'm not sure how much of the potion the candies would soak up."

"It's strangely fitting." Snape said from his side.

Harry hummed his agreement. Albus sniffed and sent a glare towards the two of them.

"Well," Harry said, "It's time for me to go."

"Ah, Mr. Elddir," Minerva stopped him, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Harry grinned, knowing that the woman probably wanted to hear stories about Albus' teenaged years with the Founders.

"Tea, indeed." Snape said.

"Would you like to join us, Severus?" she asked.

"In the staff lounge, perhaps?" Professor Sprout offered.

"Sounds good to me." Harry said and offered his arm to Minerva. "Shall we, my dear lady?" he said airily.

"Thank you, sir!" she said, slipping her arm through his. "I think a nice after dinner snack is certainly on the menu."

"Tea with crumpets for dessert, then." Harry said and offered his other arm to the short Herbology teacher.

She giggled as she put her arm through his. Harry grinned as he led the two professors out of the Great Hall. Most of the staff followed with a few last looks at the sulking goat. Harry glanced over his shoulder to see Cin still eyeing Albus with open curiosity.

"Keep an eye on him, will you, Cin?" he said. The Griffin chirped excitedly and circled the goat like some kind of miniature predator. Harry chuckled and walked out of the hall, leaving the students staring after them all blankly, and eyeing the annoyed goat with interest.

It was a start, Harry thought, to a great payback.


	10. Chaotic Strategy

**Author's Note: **Just a few responses:

_Gallandro-83_, Thank you for all the questions! They make me think back on the story and the reasons for some occurrences. Some of yours will be answered in this chapter; others won't be addressed until later, such as how the Founders transport their Heirs.

For those of you who missed it, there was a short bit in chapter seven that mentioned Darion's swiping of the lemon drops…

Also, Harry is 'paying Albus back' for sticking him with Snape. Remember, Harry was plotting during breakfast back in chapter four.

**Side Note: **Just a question, should I change a category to humor? So many people seem to find this story very funny…

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time **

* * *

"Keep an eye on him, will you, Cin?" he Harry said. The Griffin chirped excitedly and circled the goat like some kind of miniature predator. Harry chuckled and walked out of the hall, leaving the students staring after them all blankly, and eyeing the annoyed goat with interest. 

It was a start, Harry thought, to a great payback.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir **

**Part Ten**

**

* * *

Chaotic Strategy **

* * *

Harry hauled himself out of bed earlier than he normally would on a Saturday. Snape was taking a trip to Diagon, and was willing to bring his Apprentice along. Harry didn't really need to go to wizarding London, but he had something he wanted to see to in the muggle world. 

He dressed in his usual slacks, T-shirt and boots, but instead of his wizarding robes, he pulled on a brown muggle, long coat. No sense in standing out any more than he normally did. People stared at him because of his scars as it were.

"Come on Cin," he poked the sleeping Griffin in the side, "Time to get up." Harry snapped his hand back out of the way of the creature's annoyed swipe.

"Up!" he gave a yank on his tail. Cin let out a startled yelp and spun wildly on his bed.

"Hey!" Harry said, indignantly, "You're going to rip the sheets!"

Cin crouched low on the bed, watching Harry through narrowed eyes. The Griffin pounced and Harry grinned as he stepped out of the creature's path. Cin crashed to the floor and slid across the stones into the wall. He chuckled as the cub untangled himself.

"Come on you two," Harry said leaving the room, "Time to go."

Harry made his way through the deserted halls of the castle with his two familiars trailing along behind him. The school was quiet, as it usually was on Saturday mornings. The students were taking advantage of the weekend to sleep in, and the teachers were likely doing the same.

Except for Snape at any rate. Harry honestly wondered if the man ever slept. He was puttering around in his potions lab through most of the night. Doing what, he had no idea, but he had been making enough noise to wake the dead, Harry included.

Harry swept into the entrance hall and found Snape leaning against a wall in a shadowy corner. Ignoring the hidden potions master for the moment, Harry opened the main doors, and let his two animal companions out onto the grounds.

"You had best behave, Cineris." He warned the Griffin. "Stay outside, and don't disrupt the classes, please."

The Griffin nodded and bounded off across the lawn, his wings stretched out. Harry turned to Saire, and ran a finger over her head. She knew that he couldn't speak with her in the presence of any one else, so she didn't expect a verbal farewell.

"ss.Enjoy yourself, Shay.ss" she crooned under his ministrations. "ss.Will you be gone long?.ss"

Harry let out a low hissing sound that could easily translate into a negative response without arising suspicion. Anyone can make such sounds; it's just that no one knew what they were saying to the serpents. Besides, if anyone started asking questions, he could easily cover up any sound he made as tried-and-true ways to calm a snake; as most snake charmers would learn.

"ss.Farewell for now, Shay.ss" Saire hissed and slithered down the stairs, quickly disappearing into the grass.

Harry remained where he was for a moment before addressing his silent watcher.

"Are you ready, Professor?"

Snape emerged from his shadowed corner and closed the school's doors behind him. "I assume you are capable of apparating." He said as he walked down the path towards Hogsmeade.

"Of course."

"Good."

The two passed through the school's gates and a moment later apparated away.

* * *

Harry browsed the windows they passed as well as he could, considering the sweeping pace that Snape had set. The man really needed to learn how to walk casually. Actually, Harry thought, he could deal with learning how to be a little casual in _any_ department. It was like the man was bred in high society and never learned how to let go once in a while. He probably was. 

No wonder he was such a stuck up, cynical, git.

Snape wasted no time in walking through the Apothecary's door and scowling at the shelves inside. Harry snorted softly. Definitely high bred; he was pickier than a kid with candy.

A few minutes later Snape swept out of the store without purchasing a thing. Glancing at the man's killer glare, Harry suspected that the store's wares didn't quite make the man's standards. Harry hesitated slightly as they crossed the border between Diagon and Knockturn Alley, but shrugged and followed his professor. No doubt Knockturn wasn't quite the dark and evil place that the 'good folk' of the wizarding world made it out to be.

Snape again stalked into an apothecary, scowl firmly in place. Harry followed with a little more neutral expression. After all, he didn't much care about the quality of goods sold in these stores. He got his supplies elsewhere; namely from the Forbidden Forest. Salazar had taught him how to gather his own ingredients. Harry was rather surprised that Snape didn't seem to follow that same practice, but who was he to question the man's methods.

* * *

Harry left Snape browsing through Knockturn's apothecary and bartering ruthlessly with the owner. He chuckled. The poor man didn't have a chance against the Potions Master, he was sure. 

He passed quickly through the alleys and stepped through the Leaky Cauldron into muggle London without incident. He walked idly down the street, glancing periodically into a few windows. After a few blocks he slipped into a shadowed alley. He scanned the narrow space for any signs of life. Not finding any, he stepped into a dark doorway to hide himself from view.

Harry closed his eyes, concentrated, and _slid_.

Sliding was one of the gifts of the Heirs. It was a bit different from apperation. Apperating caused the wizard to 'jump' from one location to another, as if the space in between wasn't there. It was nearly instantaneous. Sliding, on the other hand, was as its name described. Instead of jumping, the wizard slid along the intervening space between points. It took longer, as the wizard was required to travel the physical distance with his consciousness, however it was much quicker than flying by broom, or taking a muggle car.

It was also how the current Headmaster seemed to be able to be anywhere and everywhere at once. Sliding wasn't detectable nor restrained by the Ministry's wards as apperation was. So sliding was able to bypass anti-aperation fields, including those around Hogwarts.

It was a rather handy gift.

Harry slid himself from London over to Surrey. After checking the area for wards or any onlookers, he rematerialized in the park at the end of the cul-de-sac on Privet Drive. He glanced around quickly to reassure himself that no one saw him shimmer out of thin air. Feeling more confident, he headed down the road towards number four.

He had a pretty good idea what to expect the house's condition to be in. He was, however, curious about the full extent and radius of the damage, and if anything managed to survive.

The Founders had told him that he arrived to their time in a severe state of shock and near magical breakdown. They didn't know what had happened to him to cause it, though they did have a relatively good theory; a theory that Harry fully believed in after he heard it.

The severity of his condition could have been caused by one of two things: one, a great amount of magic had been thrown into his body, whether from spells, rituals or him gathering it in, which caused his magical core to overload and shut down. The second option was the opposite; he had pushed all his magical energy out of his body, thus emptying his core and, again, causing its subsequent shutdown.

Harry had later reviewed his memories of the attack on the Dursley's in a pensieve and come to the conclusion that it was a mix of both circumstances. Due to the anger, grief and hatred that he was feeling at the time, he had lost control of his magic causing it to lash out, but as he succumbed to unconsciousness, his natural control snapped back into place, thus pulling the raw magic back into his body. The duel sensations had therefore caused his magical core to destabilize and short circuit.

It was a bit like a power surge through electrical wiring systems during a storm, sort of.

At any rate, it had taken all four of the Founders to bring his magic back to a stable level, and he was completely out for days while he healed.

He rounded the corner and took in the site of number four, or rather, where it used to be. There wasn't anything left of the house. The lot was empty and bulldozed over, with a rackety sign out front claiming the property's sale. All that was left was the tool shed nestled up against the back fencing. Harry crossed the street and stared at where the house used to stand. He had lived in that plain old house for a number of years, though he never really felt like it was home. It was still strange to see that it and the Dursley's were gone.

It had been a constant in his life, and he no longer had it.

Harry sighed and turned away from the empty yard. That part of his life was long over, and he finally had the last bit of closure that he needed to completely let go of it.

He made is way back down the street, leaving Privet Drive behind him.

* * *

Harry parted from Snape's company shortly after entering the school. Snape swept back down into the bowels of the dungeons while he went the opposite direction, intent on having a chat with the resident Headmaster. He checked the Great Hall, which housed a few dozen late risers, before continuing towards the man's office. 

He skirted around a surly Mrs. Norris, restraining the temptation to kick the annoying fur ball in passing. He reached the statue guarding the Headmaster's office without further incident.

"Fizzing Whizbies." He gave the password.

The statue shuddered and shifted a bit to the side before returning to its stationary position, still blocking the entrance. Harry glared, giving the password again. The statue didn't move.

Thinking that the old man had changed his password, Harry began listing off sweets of both the wizarding and muggle variety.

"Chocolate Frogs…Lemon Drops…Every Flavor Beans…Sugar Quills…Blood Pops…Canary Creams…" he listed in a bored voice, "Mars Bars…Snickers…Sugar Plums…"

Fifteen minutes easily passed before his lists became exhausted and his temper wire-thin.

Harry eyed the Griffin statue coldly, his arms crossed before him.

"You…thick headed, stone brained…useless…peon! Let me pass!"

The statue didn't move. Harry seethed.

"Bloody overgrown…" he stopped, and smirked. "Alright then, Stoney. You asked for it."

Harry stretched his hand out in front of him and pointed an open palm at the troublesome statue. "Reducio!" A blue-green light enveloped his target and Harry couldn't keep the wide smirk off his face. When the light faded the statue was gone. Well, not really gone. Harry eyed the miniaturized Griffin sitting on the bottom stair. The stone creature didn't even reach halfway up his shins.

"You should have let me in, Stoney."

The little Griffin opened its mouth as if to growl, and crouched into a defensive position. Harry watched it with amusement.

"Impressive." Harry said, stepping over it. "You might be able to startle a cat or two if you can manage to move quietly enough. Mrs. Norris is stalking the charms corridor, last I saw." He called over his shoulder as he ascended the staircase. "Good luck!"

Harry sprinted up the second half of the stairs and knocked on the door as he walked through it. Albus always knew who was at the door, and tended to invite them in before they had a chance to knock, so Harry saw no reason to pause.

"Good morning, Darion!" Albus said from a chair in the corner by the window. "How was your trip to Diagon?"

"Morning, Ablus." Harry seated himself across from the man, a half finished game of chess between them. "You'll have to ask Snape how Diagon was; I didn't spend much time there."

"Oh?"

Harry hummed as he studied the board and wondered where the man's partner was.

"If not Diagon, then where did you go?" Albus moved a white pawn forward.

"Surrey."

"And for what reason did you have to go all the way to Surrey?"

Harry barely paused before he shifted a bishop to the other side of the board. "I wanted to check out the new property for sale on Privet Drive. I'm thinking I'll need a place to live here soon enough."

"Privet Drive? It's a bit of a mundane neighborhood if I remember correctly. Not quite your typical wizarding environ. "

"It was quite plain." Harry agreed as Albus made his next move.

"I believe that a young Mr. Black left you a place in London, if you would prefer a larger city for residence."

Harry studied the board intently and moved a pawn forward before the man's words registered. "Really? Sirius left me Grimmauld Place?"

"Indeed he did."

"I would have thought he'd leave it to Professor Lupin or the Order, really."

Albus made his move, which Harry couldn't see a purpose for. "I do believe Remus is currently living there."

"Does the Order still use it?"

"Yes."

Harry nodded and slid a black castle over to terrorize the man's knight. "Did he leave me anything else?"

"Yes, I believe there is a heavily locked and warded trunk in Grimmauld's library with your name on it. I do not know what it contains."

"Mmm. I wonder what's in it." Harry personally hoped that there were a few pictures of his parents contained in that trunk. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to find out until 'Harry Potter' returned. It would be a little odd if he retrieved it as Darion Elddir.

They continued the game silently for a few minutes. Harry was still trying to make sense of the chaotic board, and Albus' random moves. Chess was never his strongest suit, but he had learned a few things over the years. The problem, however, was that the old man didn't seem to have any strategy, and it was frustrating him to no end.

He also had the suspicion that Albus had been playing against himself, which caused Harry's end of the board to look rather…muddled.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Albus asked after a while.

Harry gratefully turned his attention away from the game, and his slowly declining situation, to look at his old friend. It took him a moment to figure out what Albus was asking.

"I wasn't really looking for anything specific, but I did find it, whatever it may have been." He replied. He leaned back in the chair and let his gaze wander around the ceiling. "I don't really remember the attack all that well. Especially the farther along it went. I think it may have something to do with the multiple cruciatius curses that were cast on me." Harry looked back to Albus and cocked his head to the side in thought. "How much do you know about it? I know Snape was there, how much did he tell you?"

"He escaped the house after your first wave of power let loose."

"Was he injured?"

Albus smiled. "Not seriously." Harry shared the smile. He clearly remembered his fist connecting to Snape's Death Eater mask. Even after he found out that it was his professor, he was particularly happy that he got a shot on the git. The man deserved a good clout to the noggin after Harry's first years at Hogwarts and his acerbic comments.

"How bad was the destruction?" Harry asked.

"There was little left of the house, and much of the yard held evidence of scorching, but it did not reach the neighbor's."

"Did any of my belongings survive?"

Albus shook his head in the negative. "We only found the remains of your wand."

"I thought as much. The Dursley's locked my trunk in the closet under the stairs as soon as we got to the house, and I foolishly left my wand inside it. I was only a few meters from the stairwell when I lost control."

They sat for a while; Albus was having a rather argumentative discussion with his chess pieces while Harry gazed around the room and tried not to laugh.

"How many of the Death Eaters got out?" he asked.

Albus stopped his conversation with the white king to answer. "Only Severus and Lucius Malfoy."

Harry stared at him in shock. "Only two? There were over a dozen there, and only two got out alive?" he said incredulously.

"Apparently your magic was quite…lethal."

"It seems so." Harry tried to wrap his mind around the idea that his loss of control killed every Death Eater in his near vicinity. "Handy, that." He said in a bit of a daze, "If I'm ever surrounded and out-numbered."

Albus nodded.

Harry thought back to his rather hazy memories of the attack and who was present behind masks. He only saw three faces; Snape, Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, though he had a pretty good inkling that the senior Crabbe and Goyle were present as well. He was particularly happy that Bellatrix was dead.

He hoped that his magic did a number on her.

"Hey!" Harry said, thinking of something suddenly, "I thought the elder Malfoy was supposed to be in Azkaban?"

"He was." Albus replied, "Tom made a raid on the prison island only a month after the term ended for summer holiday. Lucius Malfoy was only a resident there for two weeks."

"Huh. That figures."

"The Dementers went with him. The Ministry now has a new department in place to run Azkaban."

"That was predictable." Harry said, "How did Fudge handle that one?"

"Not well, though he tried to hide it."

"Tried to hide his incompetence, or the disserting of the Dementers?"

"Both, I'd wager."

Harry laughed. "Too true." He glanced back at the chess board and prodded a pawn to take the white knight.

"Did anything else of import happen while I was time-traveling the past month?" Harry grimaced as he watched his bishop get bashed over the head by a vindictive queen. Albus didn't answer until after Harry shifted his rook out of the path of his knight.

"Severus said that he was contacted by Igor Karkaroff early in the summer. Do you remember him?"

"Karkaroff? He was the Headmaster at the German school, right?"

"Durmstrang, yes." Albus nodded and prodded a pawn forward, "He disappeared for the last year after the ending of the Triwizard Tournament."

"Oh yeah, he had a Mark, didn't he?"

"Indeed he did."

"So what did he have to say?" Harry asked, distracted. The chess board was looking more and more disordered as the game continued. And he still couldn't make any sense of his opponent's strategy.

"He was looking for a job, apparently."

"A job? Whatever for?"

"Durmstrang found a new Headmaster after his disappearance; Igor is now looking to do something else." Albus made his bishop cross to the other side of the board, "Said he didn't like running a school, anyhow."

"So…" Harry prompted.

"So he will be arriving here tomorrow to begin teaching on Monday." Albus said happily.

Harry stared at him and blinked. "Teaching what, exactly?"

"Transfiguration and Dueling."

"What about McGonagoll?"

She will continue with the NEWT level classes and her duties as the Deputy Headmistress." Albus turned a bit more somber, "Her strength isn't quite up to par after her visit to St. Mungo's last term."

Harry nodded. He remembered his Transfiguration Professor getting hit by four powerful stunners while she defended Hagrid. She was at St. Mungo's for some time before she returned to the school.

"You do remember what happened the last time this place had a Dueling club, right?" he asked after he made his move.

Albus laughed heartily. "Indeed, I do. Let us hope you are not pitted against young Mr. Malfoy again, shall we?"

"Too late for that." Harry mumbled, and then more clearly, "I've already tamed his latest snake attack, didn't you hear?"

"Ah yes. A summoning charm, I believe it was."

"Yup. And he summoned a rather rare and dangerous snake." Harry said "She's quite vocal, too."

"Mmm. You seem to collect interesting familiars, don't you, Darion." Albus chuckled and moved his rook.

"It's not my fault." Harry grumped.

"Of course not. Check mate."

Harry blinked at the man and then blinked at the board. He hadn't seen it coming.

"How do you _do_ that?" he asked incredulously as he studied the chaos that was the chess board. Albus laughed as he continued to study the board.


	11. Reasons for Revenge

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

"Mmm. You seem to collect interesting familiars, don't you, Darion." Albus chuckled and moved his rook.

"It's not my fault." Harry grumped.

"Of course not. Check mate."

Harry blinked at the man and then blinked at the board. He hadn't seen it coming.

"How do you _do_ that?" he asked incredulously as he studied the chaos that was the chess board. Albus laughed as he continued to study the board.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Eleven**

**

* * *

Reasons for Revenge**

* * *

Harry lazed around for the rest of the weekend. Or rather that was his plan. He was sprawled across the sofa in Snape's living room staring up at the stone ceiling when the bat himself glided in.

"Apprentice!" Snape's voice broke Harry from his intense scrutiny of the myriad cracks and crevices. "What are you doing lazing about in my living room?"

"Enjoying my weekend?" He offered, hopefully.

"Indead."

Harry hummed his agreement.

"One would think someone in your position would know how to make himself useful."

Harry glanced over at the man. "As I've nothing terribly important to do at the moment I decided to act my young age and be completely idle until Monday morning."

Snape stared at him for a moment. Harry hoped that the man would leave him be. He wasn't being entirely truthful about the 'idle' part. He may appear to be lying around, but his brain hardly reflected the state of his body. He was trying to figure out the bloody riddle that Salazar had given to him. Not to mention he still didn't know how to get rid of that bastard of a dark lord.

"Come, Apprentice." Snape snapped, "If you cannot make yourself useful, than I will do so for you. It is time you acted like the Potions Apprentice that you are claiming to be."

"But I'm not…" Harry stared after the man as he disappeared into his lab. "Oh, bloody hell." Harry rolled himself into a sitting position.

"Apprentice!" Snape yelled. Harry jumped off the couch and dashed to the door.

"You know," Harry began, "I'm probably not the best bet for this…"

Snape looked up from a row of cauldrons he was filling with some kind of thick, goo. "Why did you search for an Apprenticeship in Potions, Mr. Elddir, if you do not plan on working with them?"

Harry met the man's dark eyes from the doorway as he tossed his options around in his head. He really had no interest in becoming a Potions Master, but he wasn't sure how the surly man would take such news. On the other hand, the man was highly intelligent and had a lot of experience working with people like Dumbledore, and Voldemort's various lackeys. No doubt Snape already knew of his indifference towards the potions field. Not to mention they both knew that the whole arrangement was Albus' idea in the first place.

"I am one of the Founders' Heirs." Harry began quietly, "I need to remain near Hogwarts to complete my task."

"And what is your task, Heir?"

Harry blinked at the uncanny similarities between Snape and Salazar. He really needed to get past that. He sighed. "I was given the task of eradicating the Dark Lord Voldemort."

"Is he not an Heir as well, Elddir?"

"He was. Tom Riddle lost his status as an Heir when he killed his father in cold blood. He lost his heritage as Salazar Slytherin's blood heir when he died fifteen years ago and was cast out as nothing more than a lost spirit. His body died, thus, he no longer had any claim to his bloodline."

Snape remained silent, and Harry met his gaze evenly. "Why must you remain near the school?"

"I don't need to, really. It is simply that I know Voldemort will come here." Harry leaned against the doorframe. "And as I have no idea where Voldemort is hiding out, I have few options but to wait for him to come to me."

"How do you know what He is thinking, boy?"

Harry's eyes hardened. "Do not call me _boy_, Snape." He hissed. "I have not been a child in years; I was never given the chance to be young."

Snape stared at him, his eyes the only thing showing his surprise. Harry, however, wasn't taken aback. It was rare that he showed such hostility or menace towards anyone other than Tom or his alter ego, Voldemort. Thinking back over the last couple days he realized that he had only ever showed his 'Marauders' side to the current inhabitants of the castle. No wonder Snape was shocked by his reaction. He probably hadn't expected it at all.

Harry took a deep breath and turned away from the man, knowing that he wouldn't likely be called 'boy' again.

At least not until the man wanted to get hexed.

"I know how Tom, thinks, Professor. I know how he plots and I know what he wants; and he wants Hogwarts."

"What would he do with Hogwarts?"

He turned his head to eye Snape.

"Tom Riddle was not happy to be disinherited. He lost everything when his task was revoked. Do you know what he was asked to do, to become?" Harry closed his eyes, remembering the scene where Tom was given his Task. It was a proud day for any Heir to finally know what the Founders would ask of them. Tom was just as proud as any other. "He was asked to lead the Wizarding World into the new century. He was asked to become the world's figure-head." Harry laughed humorlessly. "You've seen what his idea of the new century should be like. You know his twisted vision better than most."

Snape's eyes hardened, then shuttered closed. Harry could no longer read him. He shook his head slightly, his lips quirking up. The man was far too paranoid. It _was_ common knowledge that Snape had at one point worked for Voldemort. He decided to try to bypass that particular confrontation for the time being, and picked up the conversation again.

"Tom wants Hogwarts, Professor," Harry said, "because it was the Founders who denied him his place at the head of our world. He wants it destroyed, as he was."

"Revenge."

Harry nodded. "Yes. Revenge. Not against Albus, not against the world, but against the Founders, who took from him his last claim to purpose."

"I see." And Harry knew that he did. Voldemort was going to come for Hogwarts, thus, the school was the best place for Harry to be. Acting as an Apprentice to one of the resident Professors gave him an alibi of sorts; a legitimate reason to be within the castle should anyone of importance ask.

Harry nodded and turned from the doorway. He was out the door and down the hall before he heard Snape's bellow echo through the dungeons. He yelped and took off for the upper floors without a moment to lose.

It hadn't taken Snape as long as he thought it would to realize that his Apprentice had managed to skiv out of helping him brew potions. Harry smirked widely. He would have to remember that Snape was a bit quicker than one would give him credit for.

* * *

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Snape had finally cooled down enough not to finger his wand every time he saw the young Heir, which allowed Harry to breathe a little easier. An extra weight was lifted form his shoulders for the day after he dropped Cin off with Hagrid. The half-giant had asked to use the little Griffin in his classes and Harry was more than happy to lend his familiar to his old and first friend.

Cin wasn't quite so enthusiastic, but Harry decided to ignore that little detail.

Harry was sitting slouched over his plate trying to decide if he wanted to go down to the kitchens to bug the house elves for breakfast or just eat the offered selections when he was interrupted, which didn't put him in the greatest of moods. Especially as it was Draco Malfoy doing the interrupting. He never was fond of the boy.

"Apprentice." And he was picking up Moody's habits.

Harry ignored the blonde and continued to stare at the salt shaker; although his previous dispute with himself was replaced by the desire to hex the boy – again; a strong desire.

"Apprentice Elddir." The boy sneered again.

Harry rolled his eyes upward to glare half-heartedly. "What ever do you want, Malfoy?"

"You have something of mine."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"Do not."

"Do to."

"Do not."

Malfoy pursed his lips in irritation and Harry smirked, though he was a little disappointed that he didn't lead the boy further into a pointless round-about. Oh well.

"I want it back."

"That would only be assuming I actually had something in my possession that belonged to you, Mr. Malfoy."

"The serpent, Elddir." He ground out.

Harry gave up on his entertainment and decided to finish the confrontation. It was only irritating him anyways. He looked directly into the blonde's eyes. "You gave her away when you used her in a formal duel against me. You summoned a snake to fight for you, thereby placing her fate in the hands of your opponent, and I chose to tame her rather than destroy her, as most would have. If you are incapable of recognizing your own loss than you are a bigger idiot than I first thought, Draco Malfoy." He ended in a low hiss.

When the boy only blinked in return Harry rose from his seat and crossed the hall. He passed by the student tables and plopped down at the end of the furthest one; mumbling obscenities all the way. He didn't even glance back at the young Malfoy.

"Bloody idiot…not even here a week and he's already driving me mad." Harry mumbled as he stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth.

"Hello, Darion!" a voice thankfully brought him out of his less than pleasant thoughts.

Harry looked around him and suddenly realized just where he had placed himself: smack dab in the heart of a group of upper-year Gryffindors. Or rather, right in the middle of his old friends and dorm-mates. Bloody great, he thought, Malfoy does it again…I'm gonna kill him.

Out loud, however, he only returned Hermione's greeting.

"Don't worry yourself about Malfoy, he's just a prat." Hermione advised.

"So I've noticed."

"Yea, like he's easy to ignore, Mione." Ron said.

"Ron…"

"Hey mate," Ron turned to Harry, "You did great with him in that duel!"

"It was brilliant." Neville said.

"Where did you learn how to duel like that?" Ron continued, "I've never seen anything like it; you walloped him!"

Harry smirked at his enthusiasm. "I was well taught, and Malfoy is hardly subtle in his spell casting."

"You were taught by the Founders, right?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, they all taught me."

"That's amazing; to be taught by the Founders themselves." Hermione said excitedly, "They are said to be the best wizards and witches in centuries; nearly at the level of Merlin. It must have been a great honor to even meet them!"

"Yea, well, the novelty wore off after a while." Harry mumbled, "Quicker with Salazar than the others, I'm afraid."

"Yea, I'll bet." Ron said around a mouthful of food, "Slytherin himself; the snake."

Harry sniffed. Salazar may have been a sneaky bastard, but he had his good qualities. You just had to dig awfully deep to find them. Then you had to get lucky. But he did have a good quality…or two.

"Ron!" the two girls said at the same time, though Harry suspected for different reasons. Likely, Hermione couldn't stand hearing slander against the Founders, and Ginny…well…he wasn't sure why Ginny was so indignant.

Harry watched with interest as Hermione fingered her wand and glared while Ginny held nothing back and smacked her brother upside the head. Ron's indignant 'hey' nearly set him off laughing.

It did set Neville, Seamus and Dean off, however. Their laughter rolled over their end of the table and made him smile. Gryffindors always knew how to laugh well. Slytherins only snickered and sneered; more often than not, menacingly. Hufflepuffs tended to giggle. Helga had a bubbly laugh that Harry had become addicted to hearing.

Harry shook such evaluations out of his head. He had spent large amounts of time within all four of the houses and was fond of comparing them. He had spent years trying to figure out why the Founders couldn't decide what house he belonged most to. He never did solve that particular puzzle. He figured he probably never would.

"Serpents are considered to be wise in certain cultures, Ronald."

Harry looked past the two youngest Weasley's beside him to see Luna staring blankly out of the window.

"Yea sure," Ron said, "Cunning, scheming, sneaky…"

"Ronald Weasley!" Ginny pulled her wand and waved it ominously, "You behave yourself or I'll be forced to do irreparable damage upon your person!"

Harry laughed outright at Ron's expression. He looked positively horrified. Harry couldn't quite figure out if it was because of the threat of bodily harm or the idea that his little sister was defending Slytherins. Possibly it was the combination of both that made his face look as if he was facing hell on earth.

The red of his cheeks was beginning to compete with his hair as well.

"Ginny!" he spluttered.

"No, Ron." Ginny pocketed her wand, glared at her brother and stalked off to sit halfway down the table. Ron stared after her in nothing short of astonishment.

"What's her problem?" Dean leaned over into the group.

"I have no idea." Ron said, faintly.

"Honestly!" Hermione huffed, "Boys!"

Ron twisted around in his seat to stare at her. "What! How am I supposed to know what's up with her?"

"She's your sister, Ron!"

"Yeah, so?

Hermione threw up her hands in exasperation. "You're impossible!"

"I'm impossible!"

"Yes!"

"How…I don't…Argh!" Ron turned away from her and stabbed his fork into his breakfast. Hermione harrumphed and copied his movements.

"What was that about?" Neville asked the table.

"They just have an unrequited love affair, is all." Dean said.

"I do not!" Ron said at the same time Hermione said, "We have no such thing!"

Everyone within hearing range laughed, which caused interesting reactions from the both of them. Harry held in his own laughter at the two. They were always good for a little entertainment. More so than he remembered, actually.

"What on earth…" Hermione's voice broke through their amusement. She stared curiously at the entrance to the Great Hall, half raised out of her seat to get a better look over the heads in her way. Harry followed her line of sight, and had the exact same thought.

What on earth was the Minister doing at Hogwarts.


	12. New Policies

**Author's Note:** Karkaroff makes his appearance…I don't much remember him as the 4th book wasn't my favorite…and I'm not going to even try to imitate an East European accent for him…so you'll just have to use your imagination there…

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

"What on earth…" Hermione's voice broke through their amusement. She stared curiously at the entrance to the Great Hall, half raised out of her seat to get a better look over the heads in her way. Harry followed her line of sight, and had the exact same thought.

What on earth was the Minister doing at Hogwarts.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Twelve**

**

* * *

New Policies**

* * *

Harry remained in his seat amongst the Gryffindors as Fudge and his contingent of cronies made their way up to the staff table. A quick look towards Dumbledore told him that this visit wasn't a surprise. Harry would be buggered, though, if he knew _why_ the Headmaster was expecting a visit from the Minister of Magic. Harry let his eyes wander down the staff table and found similar expressions of barely hidden distaste among all the Professors. There was still no surprise amongst the lot of them, although Harry found himself to be surprised.

He hadn't realized that Karkaroff was seated primly next to Snape.

The two made an interesting contrast; what with Snape's dark disposition up next to Karkaroff's sleek silver one. They both had a dark aura about them, though.

"How did I miss that?" Harry mumbled to himself. He was becoming lax if he didn't notice a new face amongst the head table, especially one that he knew to bear the Dark Mark. And Albus had just told him two days past that the former Headmaster was arriving to Hogwarts to teach. "Figures." He continued his mumbling as he watched the Ministry group reach their destination.

"Good morning, Cornelius." Albus greeted the Minister.

"Morning, morning, Dumbledore." Fudge said as he tugged on his jacket.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Albus continued in his jovial voice. Harry, however, noticed the lack of twinkle in the old man's eyes. He rather suspected that Fudge noticed it as well. By the look of Snape's face he certainly did.

"Hard times, Dumbledore, hard times." Then again, maybe not. "Must do what we can, the people call for action."

Harry rolled his eyes at the man's rambling. Honestly, like anyone believed such an act.

"Indeed, Cornelius." Albus's lack of twinkle grew obvious.

"You know why we're here, Dumbledore." Fudge continued, "All persons must be checked, new Policy and all."

Harry held in a snort, and mumbled, "New policy my arse." He still didn't know what the bowler topped man wanted. Harry's confusion must have shown in his face as Hermione took it upon herself to explain.

"Fudge enacted some new policy that stated that every new person to enter the school is to surrender their wand for a check and answer a standard list of questions."

"Bloody annoying that was." Ron stated. "Came up on the train halfway to the school and checked us all. We were all two hours late for the feast."

"That's nice, Ron." Hermione retorted, "Always thinking with your stomach!"

"I hadn't eaten all day! I was hungry!"

"You ate up half the trolley of snacks on the train!"

"I did not!"

Before the two could continue their impromptu argument, Harry continued a more productive line of conversation.

"I don't see how they could determine anything by asking a list of useless questions." Harry said, as he watched the formalities between the two men. Hermione was too busy staring down Ron to respond, so Ginny did.

"They made sure they got the truth."

It took Harry a second to figure out what she was saying. "What?" Harry was incredulous, "Minors aren't allowed to be dosed with truth potions!"

"That's true with Veritaserum." Hermion said, turning away from Ron, "They didn't use a potion, though. They used the Veritus spell."

"Veritus?" Harry stared at her. "They cast the Veritus charm on the students?"

"Yea, they were…" but Ron's sentence got cut off by Harry's hand. The Minister and Albus had finally gotten past their pleasantries.

"We'll need to see the Dea-man named Igor Karkaroff," Fudge was saying, "You know the drill, Dumbledore."

"Of course, Cornelius." Albus' unusually hard voice nearly made Harry shiver. The man may have been old, but he was no less powerful.

"Oh," Hermione's voice broke through, "They must be here to check Karkaroff, though I would have thought they'd done so before he actually came into the school."

"You think Snape snuck him in?" Ron asked.

"Right under the Ministry's nose," Dean said from down the table, "Brilliant."

Harry rather agreed with that assessment, though he knew Karkaroff wasn't sneaked into the castle. Not in principle anyways. No doubt Albus just brought the man on campus without 'properly notifying' the Ministry.

Brilliant, indeed.

"Weatherby, if you will." Fudge motioned one of his lackeys forward. Harry held in a laugh. It was Percy, and Fudge still hadn't gotten the poor kid's name right.

Harry may have a certain level of self control, but Ron and the other sixth year Gryffindors did not. Neither Hermione nor Albus' quick look of warning did little to stop their chuckling, either. Harry just sat amongst them, giving Albus a look of amusement.

"Igor Karkaroff," Percy summoned in an imperious air. Harry's lips quirked as the group around him continued their giggles. "Step down here, if you will."

Karkaroff sniffed slightly, his gray mustache twitching, before rising elegantly from his chair and rounding the table. Percy motioned him over impatiently, already holding his wand ready. Apparently 'Weatherby' was going to be the one to cast the truth spell.

Harry rather thought that it was a bit rude on the Minister's part to make the man go through it all in front of the whole bloody school.

"The antechamber is prepared for your use, Cornelius." Albus broke in. Harry cheered mentally. "It is just through here."

Fudge scrunched up his face in an interesting manner, but motioned for his group to follow the Headmaster anyways. "Of course, of course, go on Weatherby."

"Oh, Minister?" one of his group stopped their progress. "There was one more, if you'll recall."

Harry's stomach clenched.

"Ah yes," Fudge turned towards the Headmaster. "The boy who came out of the floo, Dumbledore, he will need to be checked as well."

Harry grimaced slightly as heads turned to look at him. So much for blending in. He was going to get the name of that bloody, Fudge tag-along and send a good hex towards him.

"Yes, Mr. Elddir, would you care to join us?" Albus asked politely.

"Doesn't look like I have much choice, really." Harry mumbled. He decided to fully play his part as an Apprentice. "If my Master allows." He stated neutrally for the Hall to hear.

"Your Master?" Fudge growled at him, suspiciously.

Harry nodded towards Snape. Fudge's head swung around so fast Harry fancied he could hear it crack from across the Hall. Snape met the look with one of his own.

"My Apprentice," he stressed, "may go with you, on the condition that I accompany him."

"Your Apprentice?" Fudge stammered. "_You_ have an Apprentice?"

"He doesn't need to sound so surprised." Harry mumbled to no one in particular.

"Indeed." Snape sneered.

"For what subject, Snape?" Fudge asked. Harry snorted, again mumbling sarcastically under his breath. The man was an idiot.

"Potions, perhaps." Snape suggested. "As I am a Potions Master you may, or not, recall, thus I am entitled to take on an Apprentice of my choosing, with or without any consent or intervention from any outside source."

Except Albus Dumbledore, Harry thought.

Fudge spluttered a bit, but recovered well enough. "This way, then."

Harry calmly rose and crossed the hall to stand by his 'Master', all the while trying not to bore holes through Fudge by will alone. He was having some trouble. The balding man was terribly annoying, and Harry didn't have a fond memory of the man in eixtence.

Of course there was always that little scene where Harry let loose some of his more…entertaining…curses on the man in front of the whole hall.

It was really too bad that it was only a dream. It was a good vision, though, and Harry had to struggle not to smirk at the idea of following through with it. Merlin knew the man deserved a good hex…or three.

"This way then." Fudge said as he tugged on his tie.

Harry followed the group into the antechamber, which sported a conference type table and a fire crackling merrily away. Interestingly, no one volunteered to seat themselves first, despite the more comfortable atmosphere.

Albus pulled the door shut behind him with a soft click, drowning out the rising noise of the Great Hall. Harry glanced around at the gathered Ministry cronies and sat himself on the far side of the table in a comfortable slouch. Snape, of course, took up position in a shadowy corner against the wall, sneer firmly in place.

"Ah, before we begin," Fudge said, puffing up to his oh-so-impressive short height, "I must know if the boy is of majority."

Harry blinked at the question – command – and wondered why the man would need to know his age. Fudge turned beady eyes in his direction.

"Cornelius," Albus began, "I see no need to be so harsh on him."

"Now, Dumbledore, you know the Policy, all adults must be seen as such." Fudge said.

"The Policy states that those of age must face the questions as an adult." Percy all but quoted.

Harry's eyes narrowed. He had a suspicious feeling that he knew where the whole round about was going. He hoped they would hurry up and settle themselves; he was getting sick of Fudge's simpering. Harry noticed Albus' eyes harden.

He could easily tell that Albus most certainly did _not_ approve of Fudge's new policy. Harry had a feeling that he wouldn't either.

"I'm past my majority." He said quietly, deciding to move things along a bit.

The group swiveled to look at him, and Harry fought the urge to smirk at the lot from his sprawled position in his chair.

"You are over the age of seventeen, then?" Percy said.

"Yes."

"How old are you?" Fudge interjected.

Harry felt his eyes narrow at the man. "I am twenty-one."

"If you please, then, Mr…"

"Elddir." Harry provided.

"Mr. Elddir," Fudge said, trying to look down his nose at him, "You will wait outside while we question Karkaroof."

Harry raised his eyebrow at the man. He really needed to learn how to remember people's names. Not for the first time, Harry wondered how Fudge managed to become Minister. He wasn't even good with people, let alone governing.

Harry looked towards Snape's direction, meeting Albus' eyes in the process. Neither looked happy, but both nodded. "Very well." Harry rose and strode out of the room in one smooth motion. Snape stepped out behind him, and the door all but slammed shut.

Harry glanced around, noticing the students sending them curious looks. "Veriteserum, then." Harry said quietly as he settled himself against the wall.

Snape sent a glare towards the students and copied his movements.

"Indead."

"Joy." He said with heavy sarcasm. Harry grimaced. He hated Veriteserum. It was a slimy tasting potion that had the rather nasty habit of sticking to the roof of his mouth for hours after taking it. His stomach clenched, almost painfully, at the thought of being subjected to the potion.

Snape sent an inquisitive look in his direction. Harry decided to ignore it. He didn't want to try to explain yet another story to the man, not here, and certainly not in between forced meetings with Fudge.

It would only make him more ill.

Snape didn't ask his question, to which Harry was thankful. They both stood silently against the wall while they waited. Snape held his glare in place, apparently amusing himself with the interesting reactions of the students every time they looked in their direction.

At least Harry was amused by the interplay.

The hall was beginning to empty over ten minutes later, when Percy finally poked his nose out the door. It wasn't good timing, as the red head got a full dose of Snape's worse death glare. Harry smirked as Percy scrambled backwards into the room. Snape stalked in after the upset Weasley, his Apprentice on his heals.

Harry took in the faces of those present. Karkaroff was seated at the far end of the table, looking a little wobbly with his head braced in one hand, while Albus was at his shoulder, giving the man silent support. Fudge and his cronies looked strained, though Harry wasn't sure why.

Snape took up his previous position in the corner, while Harry waited near the door for his 'instructions'.

"Mr. Eleddir," Fudge started when Harry interrupted him.

"Elddir."

Fudge stumbled over his words a bit, "What?"

"My name is Elddir."

Fudge gave him an irritated look and returned to his speech. "Take a seat," he pointed to a chair surround by Ministry workers, "And we will get started."

Harry didn't even look at the chair, but instead rounded the table and sat himself in his previous seat, taking great amusement in riling up the man. Fudge, apparently, couldn't find his tongue, so he waved wildly at Percy to get on with it. Harry kept his eyes on Percy as he made his way around the table, which visibly upset the red head. Harry kept his face neutral, but his eyes were hard.

"Do you have any allergies?" he asked.

"Fatuis." Harry said seriously. He had never been so happy for his forced lessons in language. Rowena had continuously drilled him in Latin, among others, and had even got Salazar to test him.

Harry had just said 'idiots' in Latin.

Percy looked at him blankly. Fudge looked confused and impatient. The rest of the Ministry workers ranged in between the two, although one of them looked like he was having some difficulties and was holding a hand over his mouth. Harry thought he recognized him from the Order. Harry held in a smirk as he saw both Snape and Albus shoot him highly amused looks.

Percy uttered an intelligent "Uh," which prompted Harry to continue the encounter.

"I don't think you'll find it in any potions." he said, still serious, "Especially Veriteserum."

"Very well," Fudge said, "Get on with it, Weatherby."

Percy nodded and dolled out the correct dose. Harry took it without any fuss, despite his desire to protest.

Harry made a face at the texture of the thick substance, but he relaxed as the effects took place. A white haze spread throughout his body, blurring the edges of his vision, and making his fingers tingle oddly. It didn't take long for the Veriteserum to work through his body. Soon enough Harry's eyes appeared glazed, and he was seated slackly in his chair.

Fudge wasted no time in asking his first question.

"What is your name?" He shot out.

* * *

**Note:** Fatuis - Fatuus is Latin and means idiot. Fatuis is my attempt to make it plural…I don't know Latin, and the whole declensions and all just confuse me… 


	13. Veritaserum

**Author's Note:** I know…that bit of a cliff hanger wasn't very nice, was it?

Thanks to those who helped with the latin particulars, it was appreciated.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

Harry made a face at the texture of the thick substance, but he relaxed as the effects took place. A white haze spread throughout his body, blurring the edges of his vision, and making his fingers tingle oddly. It didn't take long for the Veriteserum to work through his body. Soon enough Harry's eyes appeared glazed, and he was seated slackly in his chair.

Fudge wasted no time in asking his first question.

"What is your name?" He shot out.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Thirteen**

**

* * *

Veritaserum**

* * *

Harry made no pause with his answer, "Darion Elddir."

Fudge looked at him a moment before continuing his line of questions. They settled all the basics first, such as his age (21), where he was born (England), and where he graduated from school (Hogwarts) to which Fudge looked at him with some disbelief but didn't comment.

Harry easily hid his amusement, as he let the Veritaserum completely relax his muscles. To all appearances, he was fully under its effects.

Thankfully for Harry, he wasn't.

Potions was a very wide and varied field, ranging from simple household brews to extremely complex concoctions. Potions Masters were more rare than most other magical fields, and even then few could brew the more complicated and delicate mixtures, of which Veritaserum was one.

Harry and the other heirs were lucky that they had Salazar to tutor them in the subject, as he quickly became a legend in the field, even before his death. Salazar had attempted to teach Harry the finer points of potions, but had little luck. It simply wasn't his best subject. However hopeless he may have been in Potions, Harry did understand the reactions that most potions brought about, and how to deal with them. Veritaserum was one that they studied to some length, and was one of the potions that Harry was actually able to make.

No doubt Snape wouldn't believe him until he actually proved it, however.

The interesting thing about Veritaserum was its ingredients. It was rather a short list considering the complexity of the stages in the brewing process. Each ingredient was crucial, therefore could not be substituted. Still, few people knew what was actually in that innocent looking clear liquid.

Harry did; and it was one of those ingredients that allowed him to skirt around the potion's intent.

"Why are you at Hogwarts?" Fudge asked. Harry mentally rolled his eyes. The man obviously had no skills in interrogation. His questions were far too vague.

"I am under Apprenticeship to Professor Snape." Which was true, but not the true answer to the question. Harry wasn't at Hogwarts for an Apprenticeship. He saw Snape straighten at his response. The man knew why Harry was truly at Hogwarts as Harry had told him the day before.

Now Snape knew that his 'Apprentice' was able to bypass the effects of the truth serum. No doubt he was deeply curious as to how.

"How long do you plan to remain?"

"The Apprenticeship will last for two years." Again, it was truth, but not the answer. Harry decided not to tell the man that he had no intentions of leaving the castle. He was rather partial to living at Hogwarts.

Fudge paused in his questioning a moment before continuing.

"Do you have any malicious intents towards the staff or students?"

Harry saw Albus rise with a clear look of indignation on his face. Snape also shifted. Fudge was drawing very near to a line he really shouldn't cross. The question was bordering on accusatory, when the questioning should be completely neutral. Harry knew, however, that the potion in his system would, or should, compel him to answer promptly and truthfully.

So he did.

"I plan on giving Malfoy a thorough hexing at the first opportunity."

Fudge looked startled, as did Snape, although Albus was clearly amused as he sat back in his seat next to Karkaroff, who still looked a little worse for wear.

"So you admit to malevolent intentions?" Fudge jumped on his response.

"Not as much, I only plan on roughing him up a bit. He won't be permanently damaged in any way…mostly." Harry acknowledged to himself that his statement could hardly be considered reassuring, but he couldn't help but say it anyway. It was the truth after all.

"What exactly do you plan on doing to him?" Fudge asked, "He is a student at this institution you are forbidden to do them any harm."

"I was thinking of stringing him up from the Great Hall under a silencing charm and leaving him there until someone noticed his presence." Harry said in the toneless voice of one under Veriteserum, "And no I'm not."

"What?" Fudge asked.

"I was thinking of stringing him up…"

"No, stop," Fudge blustered, "That not what I meant, don't repeat it."

Harry stared at him with hazy eyes, while inside he was struggling not to laugh outright.

"You're not what?" Fudge asked.

"I'm not forbidden to do the students harm. I have no restrictions placed on me in regards to the residents of the castle."

Fudge glared at him, before turning and sending a glare towards Snape. Harry was greatly amused when the Minister quickly turned from the icy look the Potions Master gave him. It took the balding man a moment to regain his composure.

"And for what purpose are you going to attack Mr. Malfoy?"

"Cornelius," Albus interrupted, "This is hardly a productive line of questioning. Darion is still young, and so is partial to some of the entertainments of youth. I'm sure that he would not do young Mr. Malfoy any harm."

Well, thought Harry, he wasn't going to _kill_ the kid…

Harry of course was 'compelled' to answer the question, despite the Minister's somewhat reluctant nod of acquiescence.

"He annoyed me at breakfast this morning." He stated simply.

Fudge blinked at him before narrowing his eyes, though he didn't continue his questions about the matter. Harry distinctly heard Snape snort in amusement from his corner, however.

"Cornelius, perhaps you should continue your questions." Albus prompted, with a slight twinkle in his eyes.

"Of course," Fudge forced out. "Mr. Elddir, do you bear the Dark Mark?"

Harry nearly blinked in his surprise of the question. He hadn't expected the Minister to be so blunt. "No."

"Do you support You-Know-Who?"

"No." Harry was greatly insulted by the question, but thought that he had hid it well.

"Do you plan on aiding You-Know-Who or any of his Death Eaters?"

"Not intentionally."

Fudge narrowed his eyes at him. "Have you ever cast one of the Unforgivables?"

Harry decided that he would lie about that particular question. "No."

"Have you ever practiced dark magic?"

Harry blinked blankly, a response often associated with confusion in those under the throws of Veritaserum. Harry couldn't honestly respond to such a question, simply because he didn't know what Fudge considered to be 'dark' magic. The Minister should have known that as well, or shouldn't be posing the questions.

"Have you ever used a spell with the intentions to harm?" one of the Ministry workers asked. Fudge sent the man a mild irritated look, but the man ignored him. Harry realized that it was the guy who he recognized may belong to the Order.

It had honestly been too long since he had been in Grimmauld Place with the Order of the Pheonix to be able to remember most of them.

"Yes." Harry responded to the question, "In self defense."

"Cornelius," Albus began, "These questions are becoming far too personal. Darion has given the Ministry no reason to be asking such questions as if he is nothing more than a criminal."

The contingent of Ministry workers shifted uneasily.

Harry applauded Albus' ability to make grown men look like reprimanded children, though he couldn't properly enjoy his friend's little victory over the Minister. He was becoming far to annoyed to be amused. Fudge was irking him beyond what Harry thought the man capable of.

"Yes, yes, Albus." Fudge said, though he didn't look at the Headmaster, "only a few more questions for the boy."

Harry gritted his teeth in an effort to prevent sending a nasty spell towards the simpering Minister.

"Why did you arrive by floo at the Welcoming Feast?" Fudge asked, ignoring Albus for the moment.

"I was too late to take the Hogwarts Express."

"From where did you come?"

"Cornelius!" Albus said sternly, rising from his chair with a cold look. Fudge hesitated and avoided the old man's gaze, but was obviously listening for Harry's answer. Apparently Fudge didn't yet know that he was a Founders' Heir.

"Hogwarts." Harry said simply.

"What?"

"Hogwarts." Harry repeated obediently.

"How is that possible?"

Harry smirked inwardly, though he was still highly annoyed by the man. "The Floo Network uses the opening of fireplaces to connect the various locations of the wizarding world…" Harry launched into a monotonous explanation of how the Floo Network worked to transport people from one place to another.

Fudge did ask, after all.

While half his mind was occupied with that task, he took great pleasure in the confrontation between Albus and Fudge that was taking place across the table. From the looks of it, Snape and a couple of Fudge's cronies did as well, although Percy clearly didn't approve and kept sending suspicious looks towards Harry, Karkaroff and Snape.

It took the Headmaster less than sixty seconds to escort the bumbling Minister out the door, the man's tag-alongs trailing after.

Harry abruptly stopped his explanation about the finer points of setting up a stop along the Floo Network as they exited the doorway. Interestingly, his sudden silence caused Karkaroff to raise his head from his hands. The man had spent the entire interview cradling his head unsteadily in his hands. Harry ignored the man's intense inspection for the moment.

Harry blinked furiously, trying to get the haziness out of vision that the potion caused. He may be able to skirt around the whole truth issue, but he still felt the potion's numbing side effects.

Harry heard the door open and close again. A quick glance proved that Albus had returned. Harry scowled at him.

"You could have warned me, old man."

"My apologies, Darion, it had not crossed my mind."

"Uh huh." Harry glared at him for a moment, or at least in the man's general direction, as his vision was still a bit hazy, before leaning forward and dropping his head in his hands.

"I hate Veritaserum." He mumbled.

Albus chuckled, much to Harry's consternation.

"Don't worry, you old goat," Harry hissed, though lacking any real threat, "I'll get you, yet."

"Of that, I've no doubt, Darion."

Harry glared at the man while Albus only twinkled in return.

"How?" Karkaroff's whispered question brought Harry and Albus out of their rather interesting little war. Harry turned to observe the man. He still looked terribly unsteady, but appeared better than he had been. He was now regarding Harry with a mixed look of shock and astonishment.

"I would like to know the answer to that myself." Snape said from his corner.

Harry leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. The fuzziness was only going to give him a headache. He shook his hands out in irritation, trying to get the tingling to go away, though he knew that it wouldn't leave for some time.

"I would have thought that you would be able to figure that out, Professor." Harry said, addressing Snape, "As you are a Potions Master after all."

There was silence for a moment, which Harry relished, as his headache was already beginning. He knew that if Snape thought about it he would be able to figure out how 'Darion' was immune to the potion's effects. He had all the clues he needed, after all. Harry didn't have the same confidence in Karkaroff, however, as he didn't know what Snape knew about Darion.

"The Immunity Mark." Snape said quietly.

Harry nodded without looking at the man. "One of the ingredients in Veritaserum is the venom of a snake from Africa. Its venom causes the victim to spill out all of his secrets, without being able to check what he says." Harry said softly, "This ingredient is what causes the potion to have its 'compulsion to speak the truth' aspects. With the other things thrown in with it, this venom effectively becomes a perfect tool for interrogation; Veritaserum. Instead of sprouting off their life stories, the person will only say what was prompted from them, or asked about."

"And…" Karkaroff asked.

Harry cracked an eye open to look at the man. "And I am immune to snake venom." He said, "I bear the Immunity Mark of a White Diamond Head Cobra."

Karkaroff's eyes widened almost comically. Clearly the man knew what such a mark entailed, which was interesting, as few had ever heard of the Immunity Mark.

"Where on earth…"

Harry closed his eyes again, not bothering to answer. His head was already pounding, and his fingers still tingled. Not to mention that Fudge had put him in a bad mood.

It was not a good start to the day.

"Elddir is one of the Founders' Heirs, Igor." Snape's voice explained.

"I see." Though Harry could tell that the man didn't.

"He got the Immunity Mark from one of Slytherin's pet snakes." Snape's voice seemed a bit agitated; probably from having to explain.

"Ah, of course." Igor said.

"Darion," Albus' voice sounded close to him, "Do you not have something to help the effects of the Veritaserum?"

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples. "Yes, in my trunk. I haven't unpacked my supplies yet, and I don't usually carry it on my belt."

"Ah, well then, off to your room." Albus said, pulling him up gently. Harry wobbled a bit while he glared at the man. He had not been ready to stand up.

"Of course, mother." He simpered sarcastically.

Albus chuckled as he guided him out of the room.


	14. Charmed Mayhem

**Author's Note:** Mine apologies that this is a bit later than my norm…but I was distracted, and then HBP was out, and then I got distracted again…ah…excuses...

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

"Ah, well then, off to your room." Albus said, pulling him up gently. Harry wobbled a bit while he glared at the man. He had not been ready to stand up.

"Of course, mother." He simpered sarcastically.

Albus chuckled as he guided him out of the room.

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Fourteen**

**

* * *

Charmed Mayhem**

* * *

Harry spent the rest of his day after Fudge's interrogation in his room sifting through his trunk and avoiding all human contact. It was an easy matter to magic in a few more shelves to his liking to hold his growing library and potions stock. Without his familiars bugging him he was able to get through his trunk rather quickly, though his bad mood didn't speed up the process.

Snape didn't bother him either, though Harry wasn't sure if it was because he had no interest in his Apprentice's doings or if he was turned off by Harry's dark mutterings throughout the day. Then again, the man did have classes to tend to. Either way, Harry didn't bother to analyze it, deciding not to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth.

Thankfully his rather dismal mood faded considerably after spending the day in relative isolation, giving him the hours he needed to work out his heated irritation at the Minister and his conniving ways.

He emerged from the bowels of Hogwarts shortly before the dinner hour in a much more amenable mood then when he entered them, and wandered out to Hagrid's general vicinity to collect his 'pets'.

He was just rounding the corner in the path when he was attacked by a furry, feathery creature that promptly invaded his mind with a flurry of images of the day which left him a little dizzy. About all he could get out of the mess was Hagrid's face, a flock of students and a cornered Griffin cub. There were also a few images of an amused looking snake, no doubt at Cin's own discomfort.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that you didn't cause too much trouble, mmm?" Harry said as Cin draped himself across his shoulders. Cin retorted with an indignant click of his beak, alarmingly close to Harry's ear.

Harry decided to forfeit that particular avenue in favor of keeping his ear in one piece, and preferably not with holes through it.

"Where's Saire?" he asked. Cin shrugged.

"Ah, 'ello Mr. Elddir!" Hagrid bumbled around the edge of his hut. Harry smiled at him; he was always fond of the half-giant.

"Just Darion, please." He said.

"I'm Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures Professor and Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts."

Harry shook the large hand presented to him.

"Nice to finally meet you, Professor."

"Call me Hagrid, everybody does."

Harry smiled easily again, "Cin didn't give you too much trouble did he?"

"'Course not," Hagrid said jovially, "the students thought he was a right treat, and the little guy loved the attention."

Harry sent a smirk to his familiar. "I don't doubt it."

Cin snapped at his ear again, and Harry grinned. "He's a little hard not to notice, really." He said.

"Right he is. He's beautiful, that's for sure."

"Too true, Hagrid, he certainly is."

Cin preened under their praise, settling himself with more decorum on his selected throne. Harry felt like he should feel privileged that his shoulders happened to be that chosen throne.

"ss.If you continue on like that his head will be bigger than his miniature wings will be capable of carrying.ss" a voice hissed from the grass.

A moment later Saire wrapped herself around Harry's leg and made her way up to settle in her spot within his robes, all the while cursing – rather creatively – the incompetence of mammals.

Harry decided not to take offence.

Especially since the serpent was so imaginative in her invectives.

He gave her a welcoming stroke along her head and back as he wasn't able to speak directly to her due to Hagrid's presence. The touch calmed her and her stream of insults tapered off.

Speaking of Hagrid, he was eyeing the serpent with a mixture of astonishment and glee. It didn't take him long to ask about the snake either.

"Is she…"

Harry smiled and pulled Saire's head out of his robes to show the half-giant. "She is a Diamond Head, yes. You recognize her?"

"O' course, though I've never seen one up close before."

"She's docile enough, I'm sure she would let you pet her."

Hagrid reached out a slightly trembling hand and stroked along the snake's back with a gentleness most wouldn't associate with the giant of a man. Harry, however, was hardly surprised by the man's capacity for tenderness.

Saire hissed her pleasure at the touch and attention, which excited Hagrid to no end.

"What do you know of 'em, Darion?" Hagrid asked.

Harry was more than happy to tell the man all about the Diamond Head species of serpents. Hagrid was more than ecstatic to hear it as well. They easily slipped into a rather intense discussion of various 'dark' magical creatures that where under laws of some sort from the Ministry, and the two made their way towards Hogwarts for dinner.

Harry was more than pleased to know that Hagrid didn't just have a fascination with animals, but that he actually did know his subject, and very well. His nervousness around most of the students in a teachers role caused him to appear less than capable of the job, when in fact Harry could hardly think of any more suited to the position. He knew that with time Hagrid would become more comfortable with the idea of teaching and he would be able to impart his vast stores of knowledge and understanding with a passion that could easily rival the most devoted in the field.

Harry was proud to call the man friend, both as Harry Potter and as Darion.

The two were still talking animatedly, currently tossing about their opinions on the restriction of trade in Dragons' eggs, when they entered the entrance hall and were met with a rather stubborn looking Draco Malfoy.

Hagrid's strong voice faltered a bit when he noticed the Slytherin, but otherwise showed no other outward nervousness.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy." Harry said neutrally. Draco shifted his eyes to the half-giant and back to 'Darion' rather quickly. Harry took the hint.

"I absolutely loved our talk, Hagrid," he said truthfully, turning to fully address his friend, "And we definitely need to continue it, but it appears that I must cut it short at the moment to speak to Mr. Malfoy here."

"'Course, Darion." Hagrid said, "Come by fer tea sometime, and I'll tell you 'bout Norbert." Hagrid gave a conspiratorial wink and a big grin.

Harry smiled widely. He already knew all about Norbert of course, but found himself looking forward to talking to the kind hearted man more. "I'd love to, and I'll be down there sometime this week, you can count on it."

"Wonderful! Bring along the little guy there with you." Hagrid motioned to the snoozing Griffin.

"Sure thing. I'll be seeing you then, Hagrid."

Harry watched him amble into the Great Hall before turning back to the blonde Slytherin with a raised eyebrow. After a moment of silence Harry decided to get the ball rolling a bit.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Malfoy?" he asked, still using a neutral tone. He wasn't particularly fond of the blonde haired boy, but he was fully aware that pushing him too much could cause any hope for him to 'side with the Light' to dissipate rather quickly. Draco, for all his character flaws, was a powerful wizard, and if he were to blindly follow after his father and Voldemort Harry knew that he would have to face him in battle. It wasn't a prospect that he was overly fond of, and not simply because of the boy's power capacity. Harry honestly wanted Draco to actually _think_ before hauling off to get marked. Draco had the respect of most of his housemates, and many would follow him simply out of habit. If Draco refused Voldemort, many of the current Slytherin's would at least think about taking the Mark before they did so.

Then again, Harry fully accepted that it would be very difficult for Draco to defy his father.

Harry also just didn't really care to continue a rivalry with the boy.

"Tell me, Elddir," Draco said coldly, though it lacked his usually sneering tones, "How is it that you can tame a serpent?"

Harry cocked his head at the question. He hadn't quite expected it, at least not so soon. He honestly thought that Draco would drag him through a pile of round-abouts before getting to the point.

He decided to return the favor of forwardness, "I was taught the arts of Snake Charming." He said simply.

"Snake Charming?" he said. Harry could tell that he didn't quite believe him.

"Indeed. It's rather simple when it comes down to it."

Malfoy waited for the rest, but Harry wasn't about to give it up so easily. Draco had confronted him, obviously looking for something though Harry wasn't sure what, so the boy was going to have to work for his answers.

"And what does it come down to?" Draco asked, irritation evident in his eyes, though he didn't let it reach his voice.

Harry was impressed, really. He was showing a remarkable amount of restraint, more than he had ever seen in the Slytherin.

"Respect." Harry said. "It all comes down to respect. If you cannot respect who, or if you prefer, what, you are working with as an equal in their own rights, than you can never fully tame it."

"That seems rather contradictory to me."

Harry smiled a bit. "Perhaps, and that's precisely why it works."

"I don't understand." That had cost him, Harry knew. Draco was many things, but one of them was most certainly proud. To admit to a lack of knowledge or understanding took a great effort for the boy, especially with his upbringing and Slytherin heritage. Gryffindors may tend to flaunt their pride and were often noted for it, but many Slytherins had a more subtle sense of pride and honor that was often far more fierce than any lion's.

"Take Saire for example," Harry said, motioning to where the snake's head was resting against his neck, "I respect her for her abilities, for her skills and simply for her existence. Serpents are powerful creatures and can be staunchly loyal if they so choose. This is even more prominent in magical varieties. Because I respected her as an individual with intelligence, even if it is of a different variety than my own, or perhaps especially because of that difference, she, in turn, respected me as well. This mutual respect is what allowed me to 'tame' her, so to speak. It wasn't so much that I forced her into subservience, it's that she willingly submitted her anger and instincts and allowed me to become her…friend I suppose." Harry mused absently, "Master isn't quite the right term, perhaps its more like an older brother."

Harry rather thought that Saire would be the older one in a sibling relationship, though he wasn't about to admit it, especially to her. Harry shook away his musings and looked intently at Draco, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Snake Charming isn't as if I cast an Imperius curse on her." Harry explained, "It's a form of calming the emotions and instinctual reactions of defense and survival in order to encourage a peaceful co-existence, of a sort."

Harry didn't bother to say that he had the same thoughts towards every magical creature, not just serpents. He rather thought that Draco was smart enough to deduce that on his own, and if he wasn't than Harry had little hope that the boy would do anything but follow the dictations of his father, in which case it wouldn't matter if he understood Harry's views on equality or not.

"Where did you learn Snake Charming?" he asked.

Harry debated with himself whether or not to tell him. It was true that they weren't exactly hiding the fact that 'Darion' was a Founders' Heir, but nor were they announcing it. He also noted that Draco may very well be going through with this conversation simply to get information to relay to his father, and thus to Voldemort.

Harry found that he really didn't mind if Tom learned that Darion was at Hogwarts, though he would be surprised if the Dark Lord didn't already know.

"Salazar." Harry said simply. Draco looked first surprised, then indignant before settling on speculative, which Harry didn't expect. Perhaps there was hope for the boy yet.

Malfoy looked about ready to speak before his eyes flitted to a spot behind Harry and snapped his mouth shut. The widening of the boy's eyes caused Harry to frown and turn to investigate.

A bloodied and disheveled Moody limped through the main school doors, closely followed by a small contingent of who Harry knew to be Order members, including three elder Weasley's one of which was supported by Tonks, and a man he couldn't recall a name for, though thought was an Auror.

He fully dreaded what had occurred to warrant the group to retreat to Hogwarts looking like they had all come out of a rather vindictive hurricane. Harry, to his credit, didn't show his extreme surprise and anxiousness at seeing a rather ragged looking Remus Lupin come through the doors after the others.

Harry took a quick inventory of the obvious injuries and a few that weren't so obvious. There was nothing life threatening that he could see. The group indeed looked like it had a hard time of things though Remus and Tonks looked oddly smug.

"Is there any immediate injuries that need to be tended to?" Harry asked the group. They all looked up at him, some with surprise, and others with guarded expressions. Moody spoke for them in his usual clipped tones he used with Darion.

"Nothing urgent."

"And who are you?" the unnamed man asked.

"I'm Darion Elddir."

"Elddir?" the man continued, "I don't recognize it."

"You wouldn't." Harry said.

"Indeed."

Harry nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Alright, go on up to Albus' office then, I'll tell him you're here and create a suitable distraction so the students don't wander around and see you looking like you've just come out of World War two."

Moody scowled at him, but nodded to the others and they headed off towards the Headmaster's office. With a last look of warning Moody thumped after them. After they rounded a corner Harry turned to the silent Draco and smirked.

Harry prodded Cin awake and ignored the grumbling as the Griffin fluttered to the ground and stalked off towards the dungeons. He didn't bother himself to worry about the cub's mood, Cin would get over it, and Harry got what he wanted in that the Griffin was no longer on his shoulders.

He turned back to Draco and threw an arm companionably across the surprised boy's shoulders and steered him towards the Great Hall.

"Come on, Malfoy," Harry said jovially, "You get to help."

Malfoy sneered but didn't say anything. Harry was rather surprised that he didn't forcibly extricate himself from Harry's grasp.

They entered the Hall and were met with some rather odd looks at the amity their position displayed.

"Now, Draco," Harry leaned in to whisper conspiratorially in the boy's ear, "This isn't personal…mostly...but I must create a little mayhem, and you get to be my willing, er, unwilling accomplice."

Draco shot him an intense look of annoyance and wariness.

The boy really had no idea what was coming to him.

Harry steered them over the end of the Ravenclaw table, which was one of the central tables, and dropped his arm from Draco's shoulders. He promptly dug his hand deeply into a large serving bowl of mashed potatoes and with a blossoming smirk shucked it at the blonde.

It hit the Slytherin squarely in the face with a resounding splat.

It was terribly satisfying.

The entire hall was deadly silent.

Harry watched as Malfoy managed to get over his shock and clear away enough of the potato to see again, and gave the boy a smirk. Malfoy's look of astonishment quickly turned into anger, but surprisingly he didn't reach for his wand. Instead Harry found himself ducking a retaliation of flying food from a malicious eyed blonde.

Harry ducked back behind the Hufflepuff table and reached for more ammunition, which he flung in the general direction of Malfoy but hit a group of Ravenclaws instead, though he hardly really cared. Malfoy, it seemed, wasn't aiming much either, and managed to hit a few Gryffindors behind Harry, two of which were Weasley's who didn't hesitate to retaliate, and managed to hit more Slytherins.

Harry grinned.

It didn't take long to drag in most of the student body into the rather odd food fight, and within moments the Hall was a veritable war zone. Harry instigated many of the little battles, dancing around the room, hardly noticed and flinging food in all directions, headless of who he was actually hitting.

He noticed with great amusement that Flitwick seemed to be charming some of the food to fly around as well, and with a large grin.

Satisfied that he had created enough mischief to keep the students occupied for some time, Harry sidled his way up to the Headmaster, flicking off a stray piece of food – he rather thought that it was potato, but wasn't sure – from his robes with a wide smirk on his face.

"Do I want to know why you started this?" Albus asked with as much sternness as he could muster. Harry grinned as he saw the old man flicking his own wand around, adding to the chaos.

"Besides getting my own at Malfoy?"

"You're usually a bit more subtle, Darion."

"Yes perhaps, but it was the best I could do on short notice." Harry's voice was more somber. Albus didn't fail to notice, and ceased casting spells on the food.

"You have a flock of rather disheveled looking birds up in your office, Albus." Harry said, knowing that the old man would make the necessary connection to the Order of the Pheonix. "I rather suspect that they may have been forced from their nest, as two of them don't seem all that disappointed at the relocation."

"And can they fly?" Albus asked, responding in kind to Harry's unique form of code.

"I'm sure they're all far too stubborn to be caged, though you may want to brace their wounds, otherwise they are fine and will certainly fly again."

Albus nodded, "Good, good." He looked around at the hall, still very much in the throws of a war and not looking like it would stop any time soon. "I don't suppose that you're going to aid in the cleaning?"

Harry gave him a sideways look. "I'm not involved." He said somewhat airily.

"Of course." Albus said with a knowing smile.

No one noticed the two of them shimmer out of view, except perhaps the Potions Master, who was the only one still in his seat. He was sitting ram-rod straight with a disgusted scowl in place for his colleagues who were all aiding in the mayhem of the food fight, though not all were obvious in their efforts.

The obvious challenge was far too great a temptation to resist, as Snape was the _only_ one who had yet to be hit.

No one would admit to whose throw connected. Most students swore that it was McGonagall, though they were careful not to voice it in either Professor's presence.

It certainly was worth it, simply for the look of extreme shock on the severe man's face as a rather large blob of unidentifiable goop slid down the side of his head.

Unnoticed in the melee, Harry laughed hysterically.**

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Note: That was fun!**

You may or not be interested to know that I now have other stories posted here...and that despite those other little plot bunnies, Founders Heir currently holds presidence, though you might find them interesting...


	15. Trust Issues

**Author's Note:** My apologies for taking so long with this one…

For those of you worried about Harry's relationship with Ron and Hermione…I'm not telling. I don't want to ruin the fun. :) I suppose I could say that all will be well in the end, and you can deduce the rest from that.

Also, some asked if I would stop writing this now that book six is out…no, I am not stopping. You can just mentally dismiss whatever happened in Half Blood Prince when you read this, and in return I'll continue to write it. Sound like a good deal?

I've said this before, but again, a large Thank You to all those who have reviewed, I greatly appreciate your words and encouragement.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.**

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Last Time **

* * *

No one would admit to whose throw connected. Most students swore that it was McGonagall, though they were careful not to voice it in either Professor's presence. 

It certainly was worth it, simply for the look of extreme shock on the severe man's face as a rather large blob of unidentifiable goop slid down the side of his head.

Unnoticed in the melee, Harry laughed hysterically.

**

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The Founders' Heir **

**Part Fifteen**

**

* * *

Trust Issues **

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Harry remained in the great hall after most of the students had wandered off to their dorms, and the showers, and helped a small horde of house elves clean up the aftermath of the food fight. He did, after all, start it and he felt a little guilty about that. He didn't feel the least bit guilty about the food fight itself as it was a blast and well worth it – just that the house elves were left to clean it. 

Not to mention that Filch was scowling at him from the doorway and he doubted that the caretaker would let him walk out the doors in one piece, let alone two. He rather thought that he'd be lucky to get out in three. He probably had a rack set up somewhere in the bowels of the dungeons, just ready and waiting for someone to test it out.

Harry decided to not test out that particular theory and stayed in the Great Hall to help clean.

It was about an hour before curfew that he finally took his leave and sidled past a still scowling Filch. He wandered out of the Great Hall into the maze of Hogwart's halls, petting Saire's head absently as she hissed her pleasure.

He ran the events of the past few days past his mind. Of all that could have occurred upon his return to his own time, becoming an Apprentice to Snape wasn't exactly something that he could have anticipated. No matter that the Apprenticeship wasn't exactly real; he still lived in the same living space as the man. Granted, his time spent with Salazar prepared him to deal with any Slytherin, Snape included, or perhaps especially. The similarities between the two were uncanny and unnerving.

Salazar wasn't quite so greasy, though, and Snape was younger, and a bit uglier.

Harry sighed and pushed the comparisons out of his head. He could spend all day comparing the Heads of Houses to the Founders and not get anything done.

He was brought out of his musings by a sound that sounded suspiciously like stone crashing into a wall. Saire startled violently from her doze, and Harry rather thought the he was lucky he didn't get bit. He turned abruptly as the sound moved and continued towards him from one of the side passages, his hand outstretched in front of him ready to cast spells.

A moment later a rat skittered around the bend and shot towards him. His shock at seeing the rodent doubled as he saw what was chasing it. Albus' stone guardian rounded the turn, skidding across the stone floor and crashed sideways into the wall opposite before taking off after the rat again. The two passed him at an all out run and he spun to see them continue down the hall.

Harry stared, stuck somewhere between shock and hilarity at the sight of the small stone griffin chasing after a rat. It took him a second to process that the rat wasn't an ordinary house pest. It had a silver paw. It wasn't a rat at all, it was an animagus.

"Wormtail." He growled darkly, and sprinted after the two.

"Don't let him get away!" he yelled as the strange procession turned another corner. The stone guardian crashed head long into a wall, unable to maintain any sort of purchase on the stone flooring. Harry whipped around the corner, skidding a bit as well. He put a hand out to steady himself before charging off again.

He shot a stunning spell after the rat, but Wormtail must have anticipated a spelled attack and managed to dodge, barely, and turned down a side passage. Harry wasted no time in following, though he was forced to slow his pace in the narrow tunnel like area as he shuffled sideways.

Luckily the passage was short enough that the rat didn't get too much of a head start on him. He pushed the painting guarding the end open all the way and jumped out without pause. He was lucky that the staircase below him hadn't decided to move sooner; otherwise he would have dropped a good two stories to the next one. As it was he landed shakily on the stairs just as it shifted and begun its wide swing to the other side of the tower.

"Blast." He swore, looking around frantically, searching for a sign of where the bloody rat took off to.

Harry leaned over the railing, and saw the small movement of the rat on a stairwell a couple stories below. Wormtail was scurrying along the wall, weaving amongst the feet of the few students that he came across. Harry growled, pulled one of his knives and jumped over the ledge.

He heard a startled scream from a few students, but didn't take his eyes off the rat, pulling his arm back to throw. Wormtail apparently noticed his action and dodged between a small group of students. Harry scrambled to readjust the aim of his throw to miss the kids, which was difficult enough as it was, but he was in the middle of a freefall. Luckily, he didn't hit anyone.

He fell past the level that he threw his knife and Harry turned his attention to his own predicament; namely the ground floor that was rushing up to meet him quite eagerly.

Harry called on his animagus abilities and 'sprouted' his wings to stop his freefall down the shaft of air; just in time, too, as he barely missed crashing into a moving staircase. He flew up to the level he had thrown his knife, hoping that he had managed to catch himself a rat.

He crouched on the railing, using one hand to balance himself on the narrow ledge, and took in the identities of the students on the stairwell. His eyes widened slightly as he took in the looks of shock, anger and relief; all three of which warred for dominance on Ron's face.

"Darion?" Hermione asked shakily. She was leaning against the wall, looking a bit rattled. She had been the closest to his knife's trajectory, and he winced a bit when he realized how close he had been to hitting her. Her eyes were wide with shock and a little relief, and she had a hand over her chest as if trying to hold her heart, which no doubt was beating a furious pace. Actually, the others didn't look too well either, although Ron was turning interesting shades of red.

"How dare you!" Ron yelled, pulling his wand and aiming it at him. "Slytherin scum! I knew you weren't to be trusted; Apprenticed to Snape." He spat.

Harry reeled back, more from the hatred in the red-head's eyes than from the accusations or the threat of the wand. He felt a brief moment of betrayal, before banishing it. He reminded himself that his friends didn't know him as Darion, and that for all they knew, he was Voldemort's bastard son out of a resurrected Morgan le Fay.

Before Ron could get any further in his rant, Harry snatched the boy's wand right out of his hand in a quick motion. Ron spluttered for a bit, much to Harry's silent bemusement.

"Now, before you get yourself too worked up, Ron Weasley, let me tell you that I am not a Slytherin, technically." Harry said thinking of how the Founders never could agree on a house for him. He took in the angry and mistrustful expression on his friends' faces with sorrow. "Secondly, I did not aim at any of you, and I apologize, Hermione, for scaring you."

"I don't believe you, you…"

"Ronald." Harry said in a commanding tone. Ron stopped mid-rant and glared at him. Harry was hardly affected, Salazar and Snape were much better at death glares. Harry handed the boy's wand to Hermione, who took it without a word. He then jumped off the railing and walked over to where his knife was imbedded in a crack between two stone blocks in the wall near the floor, unsettlingly close to Hermione's own feet.

He had missed his mark.

"Blast." He swore and pulled his knife free. He inspected the area around him, looking for any sign that he had possibly nicked his target at least.

"Uh, Darion?" Hermione said. "What are you looking for?"

"Blood." He said, distracted.

"Wh-what?" Neville asked.

"Blood." Luna said in a misty voice from a few steps up the stairs near them.

"Yeah," Neville said, still a little shaky, "But why? What from?"

"From a rat." Luna said. Harry looked up from his inspection of the floor to stare at her. He wasn't the only one. The other students were looking at her like she had lost her mind, which was an already debatable topic. Harry, however, knew that there was a rat, and was shocked to find that Luna had apparently seen it. The question was did she know that it was an animagus.

"A rat!" Ron said incredulously. "What are you going on about?"

Harry glanced at the red head before dismissing the conversation and returning to his inspection. He always knew that Luna was a bit odd, and while she seemed far away most of the time, she was strangely observant, often seeing things that no one else did or would.

"Ah ha!" Harry said, finding what he wanted. There was blood on the floor, a few drops. He then brought up his knife for a closer inspection. There was a very small trace of red along its edge.

"Little bugger didn't get away scott-free." He said triumphantly.

"Who?"

Harry turned back to the group. "A rat." He said simply and turned down the hall.

"A rat." Luna said simply. Harry glanced back at her a moment before turning and heading off towards the Headmaster's office.

"Wait a minute, Darion!" Hermione said, running to catch up to him. "Whatever are you talking about and what were you looking for?"

"There was a rat in the castle, and I managed to hit him with my knife." He said as he let his partial animagus transformation go. His wings shimmered and disappeared, distracting the girl trailing him a bit.

"A rat in the castle." Hermione said, "But there are lots of rats in a castle like Hogwarts, why were you chasing after one? And what's with the knife?"

Harry glanced over at her, knowing that her curiosity would not abate, especially if he dismissed her without giving her something to chew on. If she got it into her head to do some research, he no doubt would be on her list of 'topics to figure out'.

He decided to throw her a bone in the hopes that she would be sufficiently distracted.

"He wasn't an ordinary rat, Hermione." He said, stopping to look at her fully. "He was an animagus."

He watched as her initial confusion melted into a wide eyed realization. Her mouth worked open and closed for a minute, obviously warring on whether or not to tell him the rat's name and give something away.

He quirked a small smile at her and turned back down the hall. She didn't follow him.

He was halfway to the Headmaster's office when the miniaturized stone griffin stumbled out of a side passage and into his path.

"Did you have fun, Stoney?" he asked in amusement. The stone creature turned and bared his teeth at him. Harry laughed.

"Come on, let's go talk to Albus."

They made it to their destination quickly, as Harry knew just about every shortcut in Hogwarts, and apparently, so did the stone griffin; a fact which boggled Harry to no end. The statue was a stationary fixture to the entrance of the Headmaster's office; how, in the name of Merlin, it knew how to get around the castle, he would probably never know.

He took the stairs two or three at a time, hearing the stone griffin clamber up after him.

"Albus!" Harry yelled as he barged through the door to the office. He barely paused to take in the other occupants of the room – the tattered group of Order members that had entered the school earlier – before focusing his full attention on the Headmaster.

"We've got a problem." He said, seriously.

"Yea, you." Moody said, not quite under his breath. Harry tried to ignore him. The man was far too suspicious for his own good and it was getting on his nerves.

"What are you after, Apprentice?" Moody growled. Harry turned narrowed eyes on the man and barred his teeth. So much for ignoring him.

"There's a rat in the castle." He informed the group.

"There are plenty of rats in the castle," Moody said, "particularly in the dungeons, near the Slytherin dormitories."

"Now is not the time for your paranoid insecurities and prejudices, Mad-Eye." Harry hissed angrily. "I am not your enemy, be glad of that."

"I have no proof of your allegiances, boy."

Harry's eyes darkened dangerously and he growled at the old Auror.

"Alastor, Darion, please." Albus said into the tenseness.

"I don't trust him, Albus." Moody said. Harry's eyes darkened and narrowed more than they already had been. It was one thing to be wary, but it was a completely different matter to suspect someone simply because they associated with Slytherins.

The man had no idea who Darion was, and that wasn't even taking into consideration that he was Harry as well. Moody had been suspicious of Darion since he found out that he was Snape's Apprentice. The man didn't even take the time to bother to get to know him or anything about him. Harry knew that the old Auror was mistrustful, but he had never been on the receiving end of it before. The whole thing was frustrating.

"Alastor," Albus started.

"And I don't trust Snape."

"Alastor!"

All eyes swiveled to the Headmaster, who was now standing behind his desk, eyes noticeably absent of any trace of their customary twinkle. Harry was again reminded of the sheer power that his old friend held at his disposal, and why he was known for it. Harry was never much for political intrigue, having been effectively turned off anything to do with politics from Fudge during his first years at Hogwarts, but Albus was able to inject his magical power into his very words. It was impressive, no matter how many times you had witnessed it before.

"I will not tolerate such mistrust amongst us." Albus said, the power behind his words tangible. Harry fancied that he was nearly able to taste it. "I would trust my life with Darion, as I would trust it with you, Alastor. I will have no more of this. If you cannot trust each other, at least trust me!"

Harry shifted his position off to the side. He could tell that Albus' words had an effect on those there. It was a shameless quilt trip. Albus was using their trust in him to make them feel guilty of mistrusting Darion. The only thing that saved Harry from the same guilt is that he already trusted everyone present within that room.

He trusted Moody, but they didn't know that. Moody, however, didn't trust Darion and it nearly made him sick. Not for the first time he fought down the urge to tell someone that he was actually Harry Potter. They trusted Harry, nearly out of default simply because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, but they still trusted him. It hurt, more than he was prepared for, to see the wariness in the eyes of those who had only ever shown him trust and fondness.

The group mumbled their assent to Albus and settled back into their chairs.

Harry sighed. It was not yet time for the world to know that Harry Potter was alive and well. Tom wouldn't target Darion as he would Harry, but if Voldemort knew that the two were one and the same then nothing would stop the Dark Lord from coming after him. Tom and Darion were rivals during their time with the Founders, but Voldemort and Harry Potter were enemies; deadly enemies, and anyone close to him were added to Voldemort's hit list.

It was safer to remain as Darion, and only Darion, which meant that the fewer who knew the truth, the better. It didn't mean that he had to like it, though.

His internal debate was cut off by the arrival of the small stone griffin barging through the doorway into the office. The group ceased all talking and stared at the little statue, who was giving Darion a hard look.

Harry glared back at it, not trying to hide his smirk.

"Uh, is that…" someone started.

"Darion." Albus said. Harry turned his attention to the Headmaster with an innocent, questioning look.

"Yes?"

"Is that who I think it is?"

Harry smirked slightly. "I don't know, who do you think it is?"

"Darion." Albus said in exasperation. Harry decided to go easy on him. The man did just defend him after all.

"Yes, it's Stoney." Harry said.

"Stoney? Who's that?" Arthur asked.

"Stoney is the normal guardian to my office." Albus said.

"Ah, I wondered why nothing was there." Arthur took in the miniature stone guardian with interest. "Most peculiar."

"Why isn't it in its place?" Bill asked.

"That is a good question." Albus said, "One that I've had for a while now. Darion?"

Harry turned an innocent expression towards them.

"Don't bother with the innocent act, Darion." Albus said sternly, though his eyes were beginning to twinkle again.

"Fine." Harry said, turning his nose up into the air imperiously. "He wouldn't let me in – and I warned him – so I shrunk him."

"You shrunk him." Charlie said faintly, staring at the little stone figure.

Harry hummed his agreement.

"Brilliant!" Tonks said, her hair turning a few shades brighter green in her excitement. "I never thought of that."

"Brillian, indeed." Charlie agreed.

"The twins didn't even think up something like this." Arthur mumbled.

Harry smiled. Coming from the twins' father, himself, that was a right compliment.

"And why were you trying to enter here in the first place?" Bill asked.

"It is not the first time that Stoney refused Darion entrance, despite having the password." Albus said.

"Perhaps the statue knows something we do not." Moody said with a hint of suspicion. Harry gave the man a blank look.

"Alastor." Albus' voice had a hard warning, and Moody turned away from them all.

"So the bloody statue doesn't like me," Harry said, deciding to ignore the suspicious old Auror for the time being, "It's not like the only thing it does is refuse me entrance."

"What else could it do?" Tonks asked.

"It shot fireballs at my head once." Harry said nonchalantly.

Tonks stared, wide eyed, at him as her hair changed to a bright pink hue. Charlie spit a mouthful of tea all over Remus. Arthur choked on his tea, and Harry watched with interest as Bill slapped his father on the back. He was wondering what kind of reactions he would get with that statement. Even Moody turned sideways enough to look at him through his normal eye.

"I had always wondered, Darion" Albus said with a hint of a smile at the group's reactions as he waved a cleaning spell towards Remus, "Whatever did you do to warrant that?"

"Who said I did anything!" Harry said indignantly. Albus just looked at him. Harry returned the look before huffing and averting his eyes.

"It might have been because of that time I threw a bludgeoning hex at it so it would get out of my way."

"A bludgeoning hex." Albus said absently.

"Yea, well, I was in a hurry."

"Indeed."

Harry shrugged. "It wasn't anything personal against the statue, I just needed to see Godric, and I didn't have the time to argue with a stubborn, overgrown stone block."

"So you shot a bludgeoning hex at it." Bill said.

"Yup. Godric was able to put him back together, but the bloody statue didn't like me much after that. It took a few well placed hexes to get him to stop shooting fire at me every time I passed the hallway."

"And what, pray tell, caused you to be in such a hurry?" the unnamed man said. Harry looked at him. He had forgotten he was there.

"One of the Heirs had managed to get themselves in a bit of a pinch with a herd of Hippogriffs."

Albus chuckled, clearly remembering the incident, and Harry quickly joined in with the laughter.

"A student being mauled by a herd of hippogriffs is funny?" Remus asked.

Harry sent the man a smirk. "It is when it's Tom Riddle."

"Oh." Remus said, a smile beginning to play at his lips.

"Now," Albus said after he stopped chuckling, getting everyone's attention, "I trust that you will return Stoney to his original state, Darion, I do need a guardian at my door, despite popular belief of my omnipotence." Harry nodded, still smiling, and cast a charm at the statue to prevent it from running off again. "And if you would continue with what you were saying earlier."

Again, Harry nodded, though his smile had disappeared at remembering why he had barged into their meeting. He glanced over at Moody, who had remained stoically silent since Albus' rebuke. Harry tried to ignore the lingering doubts and suspicion in the man's eye. He turned his gaze away from the grizzled old Auror and turned to look at Remus, noting with some sadness that the man looked a little weary and worn. He knew that his information would not lift a burden from the werewolf's shoulders. In fact it would probably only increase the weight Remus felt he had to bear.

"Wormtail is in Hogwarts." Harry said softly.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I want to again thank everyone for the reviews I've gotten. I've recieved a much more positive response than I could have thought, especially as I can count the number of negative reviews on one hand, and even then they aren't so much negative as constructive. Thank you! 


	16. By Scent

**Author's Note:** Goodness, I had a hard time with this one. I was debating on a few things, which caused me to put off getting this chapter done…but I'm happy with it.

Also, some responses to reviews:

_priestess of silvanus_, I like your style! Snakes after rats…just what I was thinking too.

_Hadas_, I know there are still a lot of questions that haven't been answered yet, please be patient, I will address them all.

_Japanese-jew,_ I agree, Harry doesn't really act his age (21) here, but then he hasn't really needed to. It's only been a couple days since he's shown up too. Also, remember that he never really got to be very childish as the Boy-Who-Lived, and he can be whoever he wants to as Darion. An interesting point is that we haven't yet seen his true fighting skills, either…

_Kaaera_, I was rather fond of the image of him perched on the rail as well. If you draw and post that picture somewhere, let me know! I would love to see it, and any others for that matter.

_Dernhelm-caorann_, hah, you caught that did you…someone else noticed it as well…

THANK YOU everyone for all the great reviews. I love reading them. Often multiple times.

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOooo

He turned his gaze away from the grizzled old Auror and turned to look at Remus, noting with some sadness that the man looked a little weary and worn. He knew that his information would not lift a burden from the werewolf's shoulders. In fact it would probably only increase the weight Remus felt he had to bear.

"Wormtail is in Hogwarts." Harry said softly.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Sixteen**

oooOoooOoooOooo

**By Scent**

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry watched as the emotions flickered through the Order members before him, ranging from unbelief, offended to outright rage. Moody, of course, looked completely disbelieving and was taking turns scowling at him and then at his companions. Albus just sat behind his desk watching as they argued amongst themselves.

Harry conjured a chair and sat down. He had a feeling that he would be there for a while.

It was Moody, of course, who addressed him first.

"What are you talking about, Apprentice?"

"There is a rat," Harry spoke slowly, enunciating each word carefully as if talking to a child, "in the castle; an animagus rat; its name is Wormtail."

"How do you know the name of a rat?" Tonks asked.

"How can you tell that it's an animagus is what I want to know." Moody growled.

Harry sighed and threw a leg over an arm of his chair. He was going to be there for a very long time. Especially if they didn't know that Wormtail was Peter Pettigrew, as Tonks' absent statement seemed to prove. Then again, Tonks was a little different.

"Animagus' have different auras than regular rats." Harry said.

"You can see auras?" Bill asked curiously. Harry looked at the red head, thankful that he wasn't accusing him like Moody, but simply asking.

"No, but I can sense them."

"What's the difference between sensing and seeing auras?" Bill continued.

Harry smiled a little at the man's curiosity, "Animagus' have unique patterns in their auras that make them stand out from other wizards. While those who can see auras see colors and visible patterns, I feel the vibrations and textures that magical creatures give off." Well it was true, Harry thought, mostly anyways. He could feel the vibrations from magic, just not enough to discern specific people, skills or spells. He was able to feel the power behind a spell or charm, however, which came in handy in certain situations; like duels.

"We aren't here for a lesson." Moody growled.

"But you did want to know how I knew he was an animagus." Harry pointed out with a fake smile. Moody did a passing fine imitation of a Snape sneer, except it wasn't so much intimidating as just scary, what with the man's scarred face.

As if Harry really had room to talk on that particular subject. Certain expressions of his own had the tendency to look a little freaky with the scars that marked his face.

"What happened to him?" Albus asked before Moody could retaliate.

"He got away." Harry scowled, glancing over at a sleeping Fawkes.

"Figures." Moody mumbled.

"Although," Harry continued brightly, "I did mark him!"

"Really?" Albus said.

"Yup!" Harry waved his knife in front of his face, showing off the slight trace of blood along its edge.

"What was it coated with?" Albus asked.

Harry frowned and cocked his head slightly to the side. "You know, I'm not sure." He ignored the snort from Moody's direction and Albus' chuckle as he ran a finger along the flat surface of his knife. He had many blades on his person at any time, and while he usually knew which was which, there was the random occasion where he couldn't quite remember what was coated on which blade.

"You can't remember…" Bill said absently as he watched.

"It really doesn't matter much generally." Harry said.

"Why not?"

"Because they're all coated with poisons, and it doesn't matter which is used, unless it's some sort of unusual circumstance." Harry ran his tongue along his thumb, trying to pinpoint the flavor of the substance.

"All poisons. All of what?"

"My blades." Harry looked up, still gumming the flavor of the poison. The group was all watching him with curios fascination, except Albus, who, of course, was twinkling a bit merrily and watching the others. "Somniferum." Harry identified absently as he pulled a vial off of his belt and popped its cork. He tipped his head back and let three drops of the thick blue liquid fall to his tongue. He wiped his thumb off thoroughly on his pant leg and returned the vial to his belt.

"Somniferum?" Charlie asked.

"Yes," Harry waved his hand over his blade muttering a cleaning charm and sheathed it in its place. "It's normally a powerful sleeping potion, but up the potency and it turns into a deadly poison. However it isn't painful, and actually has a numbing effect. You'll fall asleep from it before you die, and simply not wake up."

"So Wormtail is dead in some hidden hole, now?" Remus asked.

"Not likely." Harry said, "I don't think he got enough of it in his system. If he transforms, his body mass will increase and he'll simply sleep it off. It is possible that he could survive it in his animagus form, but I'm not sure if his magic would be strong enough to make up for the small body mass or not."

"You don't think, and you're not sure." Moody pitched in, "What do you know?"

Harry turned a cold gaze towards the man, feeling his ire start to get the better of him. "You were an Auror, Mad-Eye, if you don't know the intricacies of a poison's effects on the body than it's a good thing that you no longer work in the department."

Moody curled his lip disdainfully, and prepared to speak, but Harry cut him off, not yet finished with the man.

"As it is, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the idea of having to work with you if you can't recall such basic tutoring. Pair that with your inability to think before you let your paranoia take control of what's left of your mind behind that thick skull and it's a bloody miracle that someone hasn't shot a hex at you simply to shut up your accusations and suspicions."

"Now see here you welp…" Moody started, rising from his seat. Harry didn't rise to meet him; instead he continued to bowl over the man's meager defenses from the sprawled position in his chair.

"A healthy level of paranoia is all well and good, especially from an Auror, and especially for anyone planning on facing any of Voldemort's top lackey's, but it is NOT a good idea to suspect your comrades to the level that you practice. All you will do is distance those that you should keep close and when you need it the most no one will be there to save your suspicious, sorry arse."

Moody's face turned three shades of red and Harry would swear that he could see steam coming form the man's ears, yet the old Auror couldn't quite manage a verbal response.

"Suspicions I can handle," Harry continued, "But when you can't even respect someone you trust to know who is an enemy or not than you've gone too far! I've given you a lot of leeway, Mad-Eye Moody, as I know that you have no idea who I am, but I do not take kindly to unfounded accusations and malicious comments simply because you can't handle not knowing everything about a person that is none of your Merlin-cursed business!"

Harry didn't move from his position in his chair, and kept his green gaze locked onto Moody. "I will not take it any more. Suspect me all you bloody well want, but do not accuse me of anything that you do not have reason to. Do not take your frustrations and paranoia out on me because you don't like Snape. And for the love of all things magic, trust the few people that you deem worthy of your trust, or you will loose theirs."

Harry held the man's gaze, and noted the well hidden surprise in the man's one good eye. He hadn't planned on saying such thing to him, but it desperately needed to be said. The man's paranoia would only cause dissent among his own comrades, and it wasn't a good thing.

Not to mention that he was not looking forward to the man's suspicions until Harry Potter could be revealed. If Moody could manage to set aside some of that paranoia towards Darion, life at Hogwarts would be much more pleasant for all involved. And really did think that the man was just a titch too paranoid for his own good and Harry was not the least bit fond of having it directed at him so heavily.

"Enough!" Albus said. "Sit down, Alastor. We've already gone over this once, and I do not want to do so again. Darion, quit riling him up."

Harry sneered at Moody before turning his gaze towards the window and mumbling incoherently under his breath. Surprisingly, Moody sat down, though his face was still red and his magical eye didn't leave Harry.

"Leave the boy be, Moody." Arthur said, pouring tea into his cup, "Albus trusts him; that should be enough."

"Perhaps for you, Arthur." Moody said gruffly, "But it's not enough for me."

"I thank you, Mr. Weasley," Harry said neutrally, not looking away from the window, "but you should know that I am not a boy, and I don't appreciate being called such."

"Ah, sure thing." Arthur said a bit uncomfortably.

Harry looked over at him and gave him a small smile. He didn't want to alienate the man, he was rather fond of him, but he didn't like being referred to as a child, especially since he never really was one.

"Let's leave the particular levels of trust and caution alone for now." Albus said, "Darion, do you know if he is still in the castle or would he have the time to escape it?"

Harry sighed and put Moody's misplaced – understood, but still misplaced – suspicion out of his mind. "It's hard to tell how much of the serum entered his system. Also, his animagus skill throws another wrench, so-to-speak, into the works. It is possible that he was able to hold out long enough to get outside the castle walls; however I tend to doubt it. His magical signature isn't that strong, and I wouldn't have even noticed him if it weren't for Stoney here crashing down the halls after him and making a general ruckus."

"You believe that he is still here then?" Bill asked.

Harry nodded as he cast a tempus spell to check the time, "Yes, probably holed up in some small crack by now. Even with a small amount of the Somniferum he will still fall asleep. If we're lucky we may be able to sniff him out before he wakes."

"How do you propose we look for him, Albus?" the still nameless man asked. Harry decided that he would have to put a name to the man soon.

"Remus, will you be able to help?" Albus turned to the werewolf. Remus' eyes flickered over to Harry before returning to Albus.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lupin," Harry said, "You're status as a werewolf does not bother me."

"Oh," Remus stuttered a moment, "How did you…"

Harry smiled slightly and shrugged one shoulder. There was any number of ways that he would know of the werewolf's existence; anything from a simple identification as a Defense student to someone – like Albus – telling him. There was also the little exaggeration about him being able to discern specifics from the vibrations of magical signatures that he fed to the group earlier. They could all guess at which one it was on their own.

"Where was he when you hit him, Darion?" Albus asked.

"In the main shaft of stairwells, fourth floor on the east side." Harry said, "From the direction he was heading before I hit him he was headed towards the third floor corridor."

"There's any number of places he could hide in there, especially if he's still in rodent form." Remus said.

"Does anybody have anything that could help?" Albus asked.

"To find a rat?" Tonks said.

"Molly may have some kind of home pest control charm, but I'm not sure if something like that would work on an animagus." Arthur said.

"It's doubtful." Harry shook his head. "We may have to do it the old fashioned way." Harry rose and banished his chair.

"Which way is that?" Tonks asked.

"By scent." Harry said with a smirk and walked out the door. He hurried down the stairs as he pulled Saire's head out of his shirt and hissed quietly to her.

"ss,Saire, will you help me? I need you to follow the trail of a rodent,ss"

"ss,Of course, Shay,ss''

"ss,Great. I won't be able to speak with you around the others as you know, but I'll point in the direction I believe he went,ss"

"ss,I would be delighted,ss" she hissed gleefully.

Harry eyed the serpent warily. She sounded far too excited about the prospect of a hunt.

"ss,You must not eat " he warned her, "ss,I need him alive,ss"

"ss,Very well, Shay,ss"

Saire curled her head around his neck like some sort of odd scarf. Harry glanced behind him as he turned a corner to make sure that the Order members were still out of hearing distance. He paused and waited for them to catch up before continuing.

"Mr. Lupin," Harry said, still walking through the empty halls, "How good is your sense of smell right now?"

"Ah, the full moon is in three days, it can't get much better now unless I was in wolf form."

Harry nodded. He knew that the others didn't have animagus forms, except Albus, but his two forms weren't the best for sniffing something out.

They arrived to the stairwell in question without further incident, where Harry pointed out the location that he nicked Wormtail with his knife. Luckily, it was past curfew and all the students should be in their dormitories.

"Saire should be able to follow his trail," Harry said as he unwound the serpent's body from his own, "But if you would follow it as well, Mr. Lupin, we'll have a secondary opinion."

"Alright."

"We came from that direction," Harry pointed up the stairs, "So I would assume that he would continue to head downwards, probably trying to get out."

Harry set Saire on the flagstones and placed his finger at the spot where his knife had stuck. Saire shifted and flicked her tongue around his finger and the floor under it, tasting the air. Harry knew that he was testing fate a bit with using Saire to follow Wormtail's scent as it was a little odd to have a snake as a blood hound. However suspicious it may be, he would rather have the rat in possession than not use her and let the sneak get away.

He would just have to deal with any additional suspicions when they arose.

"Will it be able to trace his smell?" Bill asked. Harry didn't bother to look at the red head.

"Yes. Snakes have an excellent sense of taste."

"How do you control him?" Charlie asked curiously. "And what kind is he?"

"_She_ is a Diamond Head Cobra," he replied, "And I don't so much control her as I tame her."

Harry lifted his hand but didn't rise from his crouched position as Saire began a slow slither down the stairway. Her tongue flicked out at every step, tasting it, following the seemingly erratic path that Wormtail had taken.

"Tame her? What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

Harry turned his head around to look at him. "I'm a snake charmer." He said, sticking with the story he used before, "Salazar taught me the art." Well, it was true. He just didn't really need to use any snake charming skills as he was a Parselmouth, but he did know them.

"Slytherin?" Bill asked. Harry nodded, turning back to watch his serpent.

"Salazar taught him many things." Albus said, "No doubt much more than I'm aware of."

Harry chuckled. "Probably."

"I'm sure the rest of them taught you more than you let on as well." Albus said.

"I'm sure." Harry got to his feet to trail after Saire as she reached the third floor. "Mostly from Helga and Rowena I would think."

"Helga taught you more than Herbalism?"

Harry shot a look at his old friend. "Albus, surely you have some inkling of how much time I spent in her medical ward. Do you honestly think that she wouldn't take advantage of that time and teach me how to cast the bloody healing spells myself? She got sick of casting them on me all the time, and insisted that since I always needed them that I should know how to use them."

Albus laughed. "I should have known."

"Yea, you should have." Harry agreed. "As for Rowena, she taught me many things, and not always from a textbook."

"What did you learn from Gryffindor?" Arthur joined the conversation.

"Not as much as you would think." Harry said as he walked into the third floor corridor. Torches flared along the walls at their presence. Harry was strongly reminded of his first year at Hogwarts when they ran from Filch and stumbled upon trouble with three heads. Saire continued her somewhat slow progress along the wall.

"Gryffindor was very good with transfiguration and swords," Harry picked up the conversation again, "But I already knew transfiguration and I was never any good with swords unless I got lucky." Harry cocked his head to the side in thought. "He did teach me how not to cast a fire spell, though. I never forgot that particular lesson."

"I think I remember that." Albus said with a chuckle.

"I would be surprised if you didn't." Harry said, grinning at the memory. "He nearly blew up the south tower. Of course I'm very glad that he didn't as I was _in_ the tower at the time. That was one of those occasions that Helga had no desire to heal me for. She said something about being too dumb for asking Godric to show me a fire spell, and thus I didn't deserve to be healed by her. She told me the name of two spells and I had to look them up in the library myself."

"She wouldn't heal Godric either, if I remember correctly."

"Nope." Harry said, still smiling, "She wouldn't. Once I figured the spells out and healed my own burns, I figured I'd be nice and help the guy out. Needless to say I never asked him to cast a fire spell again."

"Goodness." Tonks said, "That'd sure get me to learn my healing spells."

Harry sent her a smile. "I think that was the whole point, really."

"ss,Shay, I have found the rat,ss" Saire hissed to him. Harry knelt down next to her, where there was a long crack up the wall from the floor. Her head was currently inside it, and as far as he could tell, half her body as well. He ran a finger down the length of her scales, letting her know that he had heard her.

"I think she found him." He told the group.

"His scent does lead here." Remus affirmed, "Though I can't pinpoint the exact location."

Harry nodded and watched as the serpent writhed backwards out of the crack. A moment later and she emerged fully, a limp rat in her jaws. The rat bore the silver paw that marked him as Wormtail.

"Bingo." Harry said with a smirk. He held his hand out and Saire dropped the rat into his palm.

"ss,He tastes worse than that flapping, feline of yours,ss" Saire complained. Harry held in his chuckle.

He spun a bit on his heal and let himself fall to the floor cross-legged. He waved his hand, casting a monitor spell that healers used to see if the blasted rat was still alive.

"He's one lucky rodent." Harry mumbled darkly, "His magic seems to have been strong enough to counter the Somniferum enough so that it wouldn't kill him, although some of Saire's venom got in him when she pulled him out, but it shouldn't be enough to do him in. She's poisonous, but not deadly yet."

"Ah, well done." Albus said.

Harry pulled two vials from his belt, pried the small mouth open and forced three drops of each inside the traitorous rat. It wouldn't do for him to die yet, after all, no matter how much it irked Harry to have to heal him.

"He'll live." Harry said stiffly and rose to his feet. He handed the rat over to Albus, not quite trusting anyone else with him. Half of the group was likely to kill him if they could. "I'm sure you'll have fun with him." He said with a smirk.

"Indeed." Albus said and put the rat in his pocket. Harry shook his head slightly and put a hand down for Saire to reclaim her place around his chest.

"Ah, Mr. Elddir?" Remus said.

"Just Darion, please." Harry said, meeting the man's eyes.

"Darion, ah…if you would, I was wondering, how did you know that he…the rat's name was Wormtail?"

oooOoooOoooOooo


	17. Think Fast

**Author's Note:** Ah! Someone gets a kudos! But I'm not going to tell you who yet…you'll know in a few chapters when it occurs in the story. However, I'll give half a kudos to anyone who guessed someone NOT of the following: Remus, Hermione, Snape or Moody; who seem to be the obvious ones right now…

For those of you wondering about Remus' sense of smell, there is a reason why he doesn't recognize Darion's scent as Harry's. I'm not going to tell you until later though.

_Brokentoy19_, I think you get the award for the longest review. Thanks so much for your comments!

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOooo

"Ah, Mr. Elddir?" Remus said.

"Just Darion, please." Harry said, meeting the man's eyes.

"Darion, ah…if you would, I was wondering, how did you know that he…the rat's name was Wormtail?"

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Seventeen**

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Think Fast**

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry stared at the man for a minute, suddenly realizing his earlier mistake, and racking his brain for a suitable excuse. How could he have been so lax?

"Uh, I believe one of the students mentioned it." He said, looking thoughtful, "There was a small group of older Gryffindors here when I threw the knife. Rather lucky I didn't hit one of them, really, the rat was using them as shields."

"You threw a knife into the middle of a crowd of students?" Remus asked, his question about how Darion knew about Wormtail temporarily forgotten. Harry smirked inwardly. He had hoped that his little diversion tactic would work. Remus was a good teacher, and cared about the safety of the students over his own curiosities. He only hoped that he wouldn't be around once Remus figured out that Darion had sidetracked him.

"Not originally." Harry defended himself, "I was aiming at the rat when he dodged into a group of students. By that time I was already in the middle of the throw and could barely redirect the path. I barely missed Hermione."

"Must have been Harry's friends, then." Arthur said. "They know about it all."

Harry glanced at the elder Weasley. The man looked slightly uncomfortable, a feeling that Harry felt as well, though for a different reason. No one knew what happened to Harry Potter, and many believed him to be dead. No doubt is was difficult for them to speak about it.

"They're usually better at holding their tongues." Moody said from the edge of the crowd.

"Ah, but they have had long practice at telling friend from foe." Albus intervened, "No doubt they have developed strong instincts in that area."

"The red head wasn't too fond of me." Harry grumped. "But Hermione is pleasant company."

Albus twinkled at him while Harry avoided looking in the direction of the other Weasleys. It was no secret that Ron was a bit hot tempered and prejudiced against Slytherins, and Darion was Apprenticed to the Head of the Snake House.

"Ron?" Bill asked. "Tall gangly kid, looks a lot like us?"

Harry blinked over at the two Weasley boys, who were smirking at each other in amusement. "Sounds about right." He said.

"He's a little short tempered, our brother." Bill said. "Don't mind him so much, he'll get over it."

"Hermione will knock him over the head and he'll behave." Charlie added.

Harry smiled a bit at the image. "It is not the first time I've had to deal with suspicion," he said, "I'm sure I'll survive."

"As always, hm, Darion." Albus said.

"As always." Harry agreed somewhat morosely. It was what he was good at; survival. Even in the most impossible of circumstances he always managed to survive.

"Well, gentlemen," Albus said, turning to the group, "And Lady, I've got a minor matter to see to," he patted his robe pocket, "so I will bid you good night. You all have accommodations, correct?"

"Yes, Albus." Remus said. The others nodded.

"Good, good. Give my regards to Molly, Arthur."

"Of course, Albus."

"And to your Master, Darion." Albus turned to Harry, twinkling.

"Sure, Albus." Harry said, rolling his eyes slightly, "Snape will be ecstatic to hear that you were thinking of him."

"I'm sure he will."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "If he curses me for interrupting his brewing to tell him that you said good night, then I will come after you with the same curse I got saddled with."

"Of course, Darion." Albus said, "I'd expect no less from you."

Harry huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Meddlesome old goat." He mumbled.

Albus chuckled as he turned back down the hallway towards his office. "Goodnight!" he called back to them.

Harry shook his head bemusedly. Albus would never change, no matter how old he got.

"Well." He said, taking in the mixed expressions of fondness from the group. Only Albus could inspire such a feeling in so many different people. "That was fun. Goodnight, then." He turned on his heal and headed towards the dungeons.

"Apprentice!"

Harry waved his hand in farewell, not bothering to turn around at Moody's call. He was no longer in the mood to deal with the man. He still had some questions about why the group of Order members were at the castle, but he could always pester Albus for answers another day. At the moment he only wanted to return to the relative peace of his rooms. It had not been the most pleasant of days.

"Should have just stayed in bed." He mumbled to himself.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry gave the portrait the password without bothering to talk to the Founder. Salazar only ever answered questions with riddles anyways, and he was hardly in the mood for more mysteries. Seeing that the common area was empty of all life forms, Harry plopped down on the couch in front of the fire and threw his legs over the side.

"What a day." He said to the ceiling. Saire shifted from her position and made her way out of his shirt.

"ss,You are tense, Shay,ss" she hissed to him.

"ss,Yes,ss" Harry said quietly and ran a hand along her scales as she settled herself around his head and shoulders.

"ss,You feel like you are ready to strike,ss"

Harry chuckled a little. "ss,Perhaps I am. I have had a rough day,ss"

"ss,Do not let the day ruin your rest,ss"

Harry ran his fingers over the serpent's head, not bothering to answer verbally. Saire laid her head across his neck and dozed off to sleep. Harry soon followed.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry woke with a start, though he barely moved a muscle. Something had woken him.

He took a quick stock of himself: he was still fully clothed, so he had all his weapons on him still, and by the feel of it, Saire had moved off of his shoulders. He could feel her scales against one ear, but she was no longer wrapped around his neck.

The room was dark, the fire had long burned down to coals, and the chamber was cast in eerie shadows. He couldn't see anything clearly, though he could vaguely make out the edges of the fireplace where the coals still glowed.

A shuffling sound came from behind the couch and Harry tensed. A moment later a second sound, this time easily identified as a pair of feet, came to him from near his head. The figure moved around in front of the couch, between Harry and the fireplace. Harry was able to tell that the person was a man, though he didn't recognize the silhouette.

Harry didn't bother to cast a lumos spell. He could fight well without the aid of his eyes, especially when his opponent wasn't expecting it.

The man moved closer to Harry, his hand outstretched towards the youth on the couch. Harry let him get close enough before he bolted upright and caught the man around his throat, with his second hand placed firmly over his assailant's chest ready to cast a spell. The man grunted in surprise, and fumbled with one hand inside his robes, no doubt for his wand.

Harry opened his mouth to cast a binding spell, but before he could get a word out, someone grabbed his arm and pulled it up behind his back. His spine arched against the pressure but he didn't lose his grip on the man's throat. The rough point of a wand pressed against his temple and Harry stilled a moment to assess the position of his attackers.

The pause apparently reassured the man behind him, as his hands loosened, and lowered Harry's arm slightly.

The pressure on his arm lightened and Harry forced his body weight backwards, connecting harshly with the man behind him and pulling the other forward by his throat. Harry grimaced as his arm was pinned behind his back. Before they could recover, he whispered a binding spell, and the man before him toppled to the ground bound by thick ropes.

The man behind him tightened his grip on the arm still pinned behind his back. Harry again pushed backwards, and when the man pulled up on his arm again Harry tipped his upper body to the side and rammed his free elbow into the man's nose. He grunted and let go.

Harry spun around, pulling one of his blades as he did so, and swept his leg under the man's feet. He stumbled and landed backwards on the couch. Harry heard Saire's shift along the couch, hissing menacingly, no doubt preparing to strike.

"ss,Stop!ss" Harry hissed to her as he rushed forward and pinned the man with his legs. He laid his knife across the man's throat and placed his other hand over the heart.

"If you so much as twitch, you're a dead man." Harry said darkly, his voice barely above a whisper. "This knife is coated with poison, and I don't need a wand to cast the killing curse directly into your heart."

The man didn't move.

"Drop the wand." He ordered. The man hesitated, and Harry increased the pressure on his blade, though didn't break the skin. "I won't say it again."

The man dropped his wand. Harry heard it clatter to the floor.

Harry nodded, "Good. Now who are you, and what do you want with me?"

"I am Severus Snape, Apprentice, and don't presume I'll accede to such an attack upon my person." Harry could hear the sneer in the man's voice when he spoke.

Harry blinked. "Snape?!"

"Unhand me, Apprentice."

Harry hesitated a moment, though there was no mistaking the man's voice. He rose and stepped away from the couch. He waved his hand, casting a light spell, and blinked when the light pierced his eyes.

Snape glared at him from the couch as he retrieved his wand. Harry turned to the second man and saw Karkaroff bound on the floor in front of the fire. He banished the ropes and helped the sliver haired man to his feet.

"You know," He said, as he began lighting the candles on the mantelpiece, "It's not the best of ideas to sneak up on me in the dark."

Karkaroff snorted and lowered himself into one of the armchairs, mumbling.

"Do you attack everyone who startles you, Apprentice?" Snape asked.

"You didn't really startle me so much as I simply mistook your sneaking around as an attack."

"Indeed." Snape sneered, "And do you intend to continue your retaliation?"

"What?"

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Call off your serpent, Apprentice, before I hex it."

Harry blinked, and looked to the other end of the couch. Saire was coiled in a defensive position, her hood spread wide and her fangs bared. She was no longer hissing, and didn't seem to be about to attack, but her position plainly declared her agitation. No wonder the man wanted her away from him. Snape was seated not a meter from her and was no doubt hesitant to move.

Harry approached her cautiously, as he wasn't able to speak with her with the two men in the same room. He resorted to his snake charming skills, and let out a low, soothing hiss. She didn't seem to hear him at first, but she slowly swung her head around to look at him. Harry held out a hand to her, and she relaxed enough to flick her tongue over his fingers. She swayed her head back and forth a moment and then crawled up his arm.

"ss,You are safe, Shay?ss"

Harry ran a hand along her scales as she disappeared up his sleeve.

"ss,If you scare me so again, Shay, I will not hesitate to bite you,ss" she said as she wrapped her length around his chest. Harry started at her words, surprised at the conviction they held.

He contemplated her actions during the skirmish, and realized that he hadn't anticipated her aid. For that matter, he never had. Serpents weren't like dogs, or other guardian creatures. They didn't protect their masters during a fight. They would protect themselves, and on occasion their offspring, but they didn't go looking for a fight they could avoid. Saire hadn't launched herself into the fray but she hadn't gone into hiding like her instincts would tell her to. She had remained in her position, against her natural instincts, and would have fought back if he hadn't told her to stop.

Harry smiled slightly at the comforting thought and tried to ignore the mumbled insults and threats from the inside of his shirt.

"You have an interesting Apprentice, Severus." Karkaroff said from his seat.

"I believe that most agree with you."

Harry turned and sat in the second arm chair, and took in the two men. Likely they had spent most of the night within Snape's lab, brewing Merlin knew what.

"So what else can you do, Apprentice?" Karkaroff asked.

Harry met the man's eyes, noting the intense gaze, and decided that he would have to be careful with him. Karkaroff may have renounced Voldemort, but he was a dangerous man on his own.

"I can do many things." He answered vaguely.

Karkaroff eyed him for a moment before turning to Snape. Harry followed his gaze. According to all technicalities, if Snape, as his Master, ordered him to tell Karkaroff of his skills, Harry would be obligated to obey. He would have to reveal his skills to the man, at least to the level that Snape was aware of them. After all, there were things that he could do that he hadn't informed Snape about. There were a few things that even Albus didn't know about either, for that matter.

Then again, the Apprenticeship wasn't a true one, Harry wasn't strictly obligated to obey, however Karkaroff didn't know that. They would have to at act the parts that they claimed in public.

"I think you got a good sampling of what he's capable of, Igor." Snape said, "For now, I will keep his skills to myself."

Karkaroff didn't seem too pleased with that, Harry thought, noticing the man's look.

"That is, of course, you're prerogative, Severus." He said, "Then I will not pry, though I am still curious."

"Many are, I believe." Snape said, turning his gaze to the youth. Harry met it and tilted his head slightly to the side. He knew, too, that many were curious about him. According to records, if anyone bothered to look, Darion Elddir did not exist on the Hogwarts rolls, yet he was a Founders' Heir.

Harry decided to change the subject.

"I trust your…interview…with the Ministry this morning went well?" Harry asked Karkaroff.

The man raised an eyebrow at him before responding. "They have deemed me worthy enough to remain within the school as a Professor."

"Ah, speaking of which," Harry said, turning to Snape, "Did they go through all the current teachers in the same way?"

"Yes." Snape said, obviously not wanting to talk about it. Harry didn't blame him. As a known wizard who bore the dark mark, Snape probably would have had a rough time of it; possibly worse than Karkaroff, as Snape and Fudge were notorious for not getting along.

Harry was about to ask another question when he was interrupted by the sound of claws clicking on stone. He looked over towards his bedroom to see Cin standing in the doorway. The cub yawned widely, and snapped his beak shut with a snap, getting the attention of the two older men.

"Ah! A Griffin?" Karkaroff exclaimed. Harry glanced at him a moment before returning his attention to the approaching monster. Cin crossed the room with his eyes closed, obviously half asleep, and jumped up on to his lap where he promptly curled up and closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

Harry watched the cub with bemusement as he ran a hand over the creature's back and wings. Cin purred his contentment, and sent him a string of hazy images Harry couldn't quite make out.

He raised his head to see the awe barely hidden in the two men's eyes. Even Snape, who had seen the Griffin cub previously, couldn't help but to feel some amazement at the creature's presence. Harry knew such a reaction. Griffins were rare and proud creatures and Ash Griffins even more so. That Cinerus was willing to be close to Harry was unusual, but that the cub was willing to stay within a castle for him was a miracle.

Of course, Harry sometimes wondered if it was more a curse than a blessing, but he could hardly fault Cin for his own nature.

"Where…" Karkaroff whispered.

"All of the Founders' Heirs have a familiar." Harry said, "Cin is mine. We are gifted with them, like Albus has Fawkes," he met the men's gaze, "and like Riddle has Nagini."

Snape didn't react, not that he had expected him to, but Karkaroff sucked in a breath between his teeth. He recognized the snake's name. Harry nodded.

"Yes, Voldemort was a Founders' Heir." Harry confirmed.

"Was?"

Harry nodded. "He's been renounced. He no longer can claim the title of an Heir."

"I thought that he…"

"He is the blood heir of Slytherin," Harry said, knowing what the man was asking, "He is Salazar's descendent, but he is not a Founders' Heir. There is a difference."

"Ah. I see."

Harry studied the sleek, silver haired man. He wasn't sure if he did understand, not completely, but it was good enough. Karkaroff couldn't understand the situation fully without knowing more, and Harry wasn't willing to tell him. If Snape decided to tell the man what Darion's Task was then he could, but Harry didn't want to speak of it, and didn't personally trust the man to do so, however, he would trust Snape's judgment on the matter.

"Despite the pleasantness of the company, the hour is hardly so." Harry said as he cradled Cin's form to his chest and stood, "therefore I must beg your leave so that I may retire to my bed and the rest of my sleep."


	18. Good Gifts, Good News

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the responses, I greatly appreciate them!

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time **

* * *

"Despite the pleasantness of the company, the hour is hardly so." Harry said as he cradled Cin's form to his chest and stood, "therefore I must beg your leave so that I may retire to my bed and the rest of my sleep." **

* * *

The Founders' Heir **

**Part Eighteen**

**

* * *

Good Gifts, Good News **

* * *

It took Harry three days to hunt Albus down in order to talk to him about the Order. In the meantime Harry spent his time avoiding the Gryffindors and Moody, which resulted in him spending those three days with Snape in the dungeons. Despite the company of the Slytherin head, the days went by quickly enough; or perhaps it was because of Snape. 

Harry finally caught up to the old man shortly after lunch, having spotted the unusual combination of orange carnations and some sort of blue birds flitting around Albus' yellow robes. After blinking rapidly to clear away the glaring colors and attempting a color change spell – which didn't work – Harry all but dragged the man to his office, with Albus chuckling all the way.

"Ah, Darion, how have you been settling in?"

"You know darn well, Albus, that I'm just fine." Harry said, steering the man down the corridor and trying to avoid looking at his robes. "So long as I stay in the dungeons, anyways."

Albus chuckled. "Why ever so?"

"Albus," Harry said, exasperatedly, "I have no interest in confrontations with overly suspicious personages who habitually grace the upper floors."

Albus laughed heartily as they turned a corner. "I can tell that you have spent these last few days with Severus, you're picking up a Slytherin's style of speech."

Harry harrumphed. "Snape wasn't the one I got it from first, you know."

"Of course, Salazar was certainly a master of the spoken word."

"A master of cynism and insults, perhaps." Harry said, "Snape is far too much like him for my personal comfort. I hadn't noticed it before, but Snape is all but Salazar's copy. They could be brothers, twins even, they're so similar."

"Unsettling, I suspect."

"It's eerie!" Harry said, as they entered the Headmaster's corridor, "I've caught myself about to call him 'Sal' on more than one occasion."

"That would go over well, I'm sure."

"Yea, about as well as a Hippogriff trying to swim while tied to an Acromantula." Harry grumbled.

Albus chuckled and they began climbing the stairs to his office. Harry paused a couple steps up, trying to figure out what was tickling at the edges of his brain. It took him a moment to figure out what was off.

"Hey Bill," he said, "Where's Stoney?"

"I have no idea." Albus said from above him. "He was no longer in my office when I returned."

"He got out of my binding spell?"

"Apparently."

Harry stared at his old friend, trying to picture the stone statue shaking off his spell. "How in Merlin's name did he manage that? He's just a bloody statue, where does he get the power to cut through my spells?"

"I haven't the foggiest."

"Huh." Harry continued to stare a moment before shaking his head and starting back up the stairs again. "Bloody annoying hunk of useless stone." He mumbled. "You mean to tell me that he's off gallivanting about the castle?"

"I would assume so." Albus said, "Unless someone decided to adopt him, but I haven't seen him since Monday when he followed you up."

"That figures." Harry followed Albus into his office. Albus busied himself with a flowery tea set by the window so Harry took advantage of his distraction to plop into the Headmaster's chair.

"Tea, Darion?"

"Of course." Harry said, tilting the chair back on two legs and propping his feet up on the desk. "With sugar, please."

Albus turned and didn't even blink at Harry's position, much to the youth's disappointment, and handed him a cup of tea. Harry watched, amused, as the old man transfigured one of the straight back chairs facing the desk into a poofy ottoman before settling himself comfortably into its confines. Harry smirked into his tea at his friend's antics.

"Where is your companion?" Albus asked.

"Cin?" Harry waved a hand nonchalantly, "Off causing trouble no doubt. He disappeared shortly after breakfast. I'm not sure where he went."

"Exploring the grounds perhaps?"

"Maybe." Harry sipped his tea, careful not to burn his tongue, "He can take care of himself, and he'll be back in time to eat."

Albus chuckled, "Always one to come around for food is he?"

"Of course," Harry said. "Cin wouldn't miss a meal for the world." Harry set his cup down on the desk and turned serious eyes to his friend. "What happened to the Order?"

Albus sighed and ran a hand through his beard before answering. "Grimmauld Place was attacked."

"Anyone hurt badly?"

"No. You saw the worst of them when they came to Hogwarts. There weren't many there at the time, thankfully."

"I would think that the more the merrier." Harry said.

"Yes, usually, the more wands the better our chances, but the close quarters of the halls in the house made it difficult."

"How many attacked?"

"About a dozen."

"Gave them quite a fight, looked like." Harry said, amused, remembering Moody's tattered state.

"Indeed they did."

"How did they get in?" Harry paused thoughtfully, "Actually, how did they even know about it? I thought it was under Fidelius."

"Ah, yes." Albus said, "It was. With Sirius' death the Fidelius Charm on Grimmauld Place was dispelled."

"Because of the transference of power?"

"Yes. Sirius, despite his family's dislike for him, was still the heir to the Black family. Because he was seen as a criminal, his will was nullified. Thus, his death caused that inheritance to be passed on to the next in line."

"So because Sirius is no longer holding the title, it passes on."

"Exactly."

"Which, would cause the secrecy charms to fail, at least to those of the blood, or rather the current heir."

Albus nodded.

"Let me guess," Harry said somewhat sarcastically, "Someone put two and two together and decided to tell Voldemort."

Albus nodded again and sipped his tea.

"Any idea who?" Harry asked.

"Nothing certain."

"Who do you suspect?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy would be the next in line as far as I know."

"Bellatrix!" Harry exclaimed, "She's still alive?" His chair wobbled dangerously and he let his feet fall to the floor with a thunk to regain his balance. "I thought she died in the attack?"

"There have been rumors," Albus started slowly, "And Remus suspects that she may have been one of the Death Eaters to attack Grimmauld Place, but without Severus' position as a spy, we have no way to confirm anything."

Harry narrowed his eyes, remembering back to his hazy memories of the attack on the Dursley's. He didn't remember much after the second cruciatus curse, but he couldn't recall seeing Bellatrix in the living room when the Dursley's were killed. It was possible that she easily escaped the backlash of his power.

"She should have died at the Dursley's." Harry said coldly. "She doesn't deserve to receive an inheritance when she killed her own cousin."

"There were no bodies." Albus said, "We do not truly know now many may have escaped the backlash. "We are sure of only Lucius and Severus."

Harry let out a frustrated breath and leaned back in his chair again. He let his head rest on the back of the chair as his eyes roamed aimlessly over the vaulted ceiling. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the idea of Bellatrix being alive. The possibility that the woman would inherit the Black fortune from Sirius racked his nerves, especially when he knew that Sirius would never have granted it to her if he could have helped it.

"So it's possible that she is alive." Harry sighed again. There was no use in dwelling on it. If she was still alive, he would no doubt meet her again. If she was still alive, him and she had unfinished business to attend to.

Albus didn't respond, not that he needed to. Harry shook his head slowly.

"How are you, my boy?"

Harry stilled a bit at the question, slightly startled at the address, and tilted his head enough to peer at Albus through a loose lank of hair.

"I haven't heard you call me that since before I went to the Founders." Harry commented.

"Ah, you may be Darion, but you were Harry to me first."

"The two aren't so different from each other, you know." Harry said, letting his head drop back to the chair.

"Perhaps, though not many would agree."

"You're right, they wouldn't." Harry said harshly, "They would expect Harry Potter to be their Golden Gryffindor Hero. 'Darion' does not fit that mold."

Albus chuckled slightly. "No, Harry Potter would never agree to an Apprenticeship under Severus Snape."

Harry's mouth quirked slightly. "Just wait 'till they hear that my primary tutor with the Founders was Salazar Slytherin."

"I thought it was Godric."

Harry laughed. "Hardly. Godric wanted to teach me things I already knew, or had no skill for." Harry peered at his friend, "like fencing."

"Ah," Albus looked at him oddly, "Salazar was your primary tutor?"

"Aye," Harry nodded, "Not officially of course. Officially I was equally taught by each, since I didn't belong to one House, but I got the most from Salazar." Harry paused thoughtfully, "Although Rowena was smart enough to give me some practical lessons on top of all the crap Salazar threw at me." Harry smirked slightly.

"What all did you learn?" Albus asked curiously.

"A-ah." Harry waved a finger at him, "A magician never tells his secrets."

Albus twinkled at him, "We shall see, we shall see."

Harry smiled at him. "Oh I know that many of my secrets will not remain so, but you will not learn all of them if I can help it, and I'm certainly not going to list all my skills out for you right now. I need to have some fun, after all."

"I doubt that you would have any trouble with finding amusement for yourself."

Harry cocked his head to the side, appearing to think, "Probably not." He said with a smirk.

Albus smiled at him through his beard. "I see your parents in you, Harry." He said softly, proudly. "Now more than ever. They would be so proud of you."

Harry stared into his friend's eyes, seeing the sincerity in them; and deeper he saw the friendship they had built during their time with the Founders. He was suddenly struck by the realization that he had a great gift in Albus Dumbledore. Few have the capability of serving the position of both youthful friend and mentor.

Harry mirrored the smile. "Thank you, Albus."

"You are most welcome."

A companionable silence descended on them, and neither seemed terribly anxious to break it. They were comfortable with each other, as old friends, and as a mentor and student. The only sounds were the rustling from the paintings, and fawk's soft snores. Harry let his eyes wander aimlessly over the ceiling, while his mind drifted without any great purpose. It was rare that he was able to sit back and relax without worry or tension.

The quiet didn't last very long, regrettably. The fireplace roared to life, and with barely a moment, changed to the green hue of a floo connection. Harry watched the flames somewhat warily, knowing that Albus' office was likely warded, but his cautions weren't easily dismissed. Albus rose from his chair and turned to face the incoming visitor, appearing calm and expectant.

Harry shook his head in bemusement. Albus rarely looked surprised. The man must have perfected the art of appearing like some omniscient, benevolent grandfather.

It was terribly amusing.

A moment passed and a head finally appeared in the fire. Harry didn't recognize the round, slightly chubby face of the man, though Albus apparently did.

"Good afternoon, Nickolaus, I trust you bring good news?" Albus said.

The man in the fire nodded, which looked strange as he had no shoulders. "Yes, Headmaster, we managed to get a descent statement from Mr. Pettigrew somewhere throughout all the stuttering and babbling. Amelia handled it all quite well. She has already sent a statement to the Daily Prophet, and it's been announced to the Law Enforcement Department at the Ministry already. Even if the Prophet isn't quite up to par, there are enough people who know the story. It'll get around."

"Wonderful!" Albus exclaimed, looking delighted, "What will happen to him, now?"

"He'll be sent to Azkaban, of course." Nickolaus said, "Three life sentences. He'll be given a private cell, in high security. He won't be going anywhere."

"And Sirius?" Albus prompted.

"His name will be cleared; has been already, in fact, according to records. A compensation and letter of apology will be sent to him and his closest relatives within the next few days."

"Thank you, Nickolaus," Albus said, "I appreciate it."

"No problem, Headmaster, none at all." Nicklaus paused and faded slightly from the fire, apparently talking with someone on the other side. He returned quickly enough. "One more thing, Headmaster, I've been informed that Mr. Black's will had been made null due to his criminal status. That will now be reinstated. We'll send out the information on that as well."

"Good, good. Thank you again, Nicklaus."

"Sure thing, Headmaster. I'll see you later."

"Good bye."

Harry watched absently as the man's head disappeared. A moment later and the flames died out, leaving a thin layer of smoke in the fireplace. Harry looked over to Albus, whose eyes were twinkling quite merrily.

"Good news, then." Harry said with a small smile.

"Good news, indeed." Albus agreed.

Harry smiled at the information the man had brought. Wormtail had been questioned and revealed Sirius' innocence. Sirius' name would be cleared, posthumously, but cleared nonetheless, though Harry was a bit irked that his Godfather didn't get to enjoy that freedom. A second thought made Harry smirk. Perhaps Bellatrix wouldn't be receiving that inheritance after all.

**

* * *

Side Note:** Just so that we're all clear; this chapter ended on the date Sept. 9 (Thursday) in the story, which means, if you don't know, that 'Darion' has been at Hogwarts for a little over a week. He first arrived on Sept. 1 (a Wednesday) during the feast if you'll recall. I know that dates aren't always stated, but if you really care, than you can track what day is which through the story…if you prefer, I'll remind you on occasion where we are in the timeline. 

**The Challenge Question:** Since I've gotten such a vast response to my question about the first person to figure out that Darion Elddir is Harry Potter, here's a running list of the clues so far:

1. "Its not who you think it is." This clue was the first, and generally was meant to make you think of someone who wasn't the obvious choice (like Remus, Moody, Hermoine or Snape).

2. "He/She is over their majority." In the books this means they are over 17 years of age. If anyone is paying attention, my first chapter states that 16 is the majority, which is wrong according to the books, obviously. I haven't bothered to correct that yet, so please discard that piece of information. Harry's classmates are all in their 6th year (Ron, Hermione, Draco, etc.) which means they are NOT over their majority.

3. This is the third and newest clue: He/She is NOT a regular resident of Hogwarts.


	19. The Arm That Holds the Sword

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

Harry smiled at the information the man had brought. Wormtail had been questioned and revealed Sirius' innocence. Sirius' name would be cleared, posthumously, but cleared nonetheless, though Harry was a bit irked that his Godfather didn't get to enjoy that freedom. A second thought made Harry smirk. Perhaps Bellatrix wouldn't be receiving that inheritance after all.**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Nineteen**

**

* * *

The Arm That Holds the Sword**

* * *

After his talk with Albus, Harry found himself in Snape's dueling room. The Potions Master was busy with a class of young students, so Harry had little fear that the man would interrupt him, thus he stripped his clothes and weapons until he was wearing only his slacks. Saire curled up contentedly among his robe while he transfigured his socks into training weights, which he then strapped to his legs and arms.

Moving out to the middle of the room, Harry proceeded to go through a series of exercises designed to increase his flexibility, balance and strength. The movements weren't flashy, at least not at first, but slow and steady. They were fluid, almost graceful, and if he were with a partner it would almost appear as if he was dancing, although he wouldn't rely on such motions to get him through a high class ball.

He easily fell into the routine, losing track of time, and even the condition of his own body, as he worked his muscles and mind as he had been taught to. An unidentifiable time passed and he paused as he completed a cycle, taking stock of his body covered with sweat and the burn in his muscles from the weights.

He also noticed a presence at the doorway behind him; three, actually.

He turned slightly, looking over his shoulder to identify his visitors; Snape, Karkaroff and a young Malfoy stood just within the doorway, watching him with mixed expressions that Harry had difficulty reading. Not for the first time he cursed the Slytherin ability to hide so much behind a mask.

Harry turned fully around to face them, noticing that their eyes wandered over his torso. Malfoy was the most expressive, his eyes widening in astonishment. Harry glanced down at himself, slightly curious to what held their attentions. His chest was littered with scars, though not to an extreme rate, they were still numerous and a few were rather large.

"Gentlemen." Harry greeted, neutrally, raising his head again to look at them.

"Apprentice." Snape was the first to recover.

"What were you doing?" Malfoy asked.

Harry studied the youth. Draco seemed much more open around the two older men, although perhaps it was simply that he was away from public attention.

"An exercise." Harry answered briefly.

"Designed for what?" Snape asked.

"Strength mostly, though it also works flexibility, range of motion, balance and endurance."

"And who gave you such an exercise?" Snape asked as he crossed the room to the weapons rack.

"I did, ultimately." Harry said, "It is a mixing of routines given to me by both Salazar and Rowena."

"Indeed." Snape pulled two swords from the rack, "And the bands on your arms and legs?"

"Weights." Harry watched as Snape handed one of the blades to Karkaroff, who seemed to know how to handle the sword. He had an itchy feeling that they weren't going to go at each other.

"Choose your weapon, Apprentice." Snape said, shedding his outer robes, "It is time I tested your skills."

Figures, Harry thought, the man could have waited until he had recovered more from his exercises. "Bloody Slytherins." He mumbled under his breath.

Harry didn't move for a moment, watching as the two men readied themselves for a duel. Apparently they were both going to face him. He turned and looked over the weapons provided. He would prefer one of his own blades, but he had none that weren't currently coated with something deadly. He doubted that the two men would appreciate being poisoned.

After a minute of contemplation he chose two daggers, both over a foot long but one was curved and had only one sharp edge while the second had a straight, double edged blade. He twirled one in his hand, getting a feel for the balance, while he situated the curved one backwards along his right forearm. He could attack with either, but the curved blade would serve as a defense when he needed one.

Harry glanced over to Draco, who had settled himself against the wall, intent on watching the upcoming confrontation. Harry briefly toyed with the idea of asking him to join in on the fun. Perhaps after the two men began to tire.

"The rules?" Harry asked.

"None." Snape answered with a slight smirk, drawing his wand into his left hand.

Harry mirrored the smirk; this was indeed going to be fun.

Harry studied the two men as they circled him slowly. Karkaroff held his wand in his right hand, with his sword balanced to his left, while Snape wielded his weapons oppositely. Harry knew that Snape was generally right handed, so concluded that the man was planning on focusing more on the sword than his wand. Karkaroff was a gray area, however. Harry didn't know which arm the man favored, or how well he handled a sword.

He would have to be careful. Both men had served as Death Eaters sometime during their past and such a role was no mean feat. Harry knew that both had once been a part of Voldemort's inner circle, even if they no longer were they were both formidable opponents. Their rank among the Death Eaters proved their worth. Of course with Snape it was possible that he gained such a position due to his potion making skills, although Harry figured that his ability to wield a sword aided him greatly.

Harry spun slowly in place, keeping the two men in his range of vision as they circled him in separate directions. He idly twirled the blade in his left hand, eyeing Snape as the dark haired man crept forwards on his right.

Snape lunged suddenly, his sword passing in an arc as Harry stepped backwards. Harry spun, slashing at the man with his blade. Snape blocked one with his sword, and cast a shield with his wand to halt the second. Harry shifted the blade in his right hand into his fingers, freeing his palm.

"Vincio!" he whispered, feeling the magic pass through his palm towards Snape. Snape veered to the side, avoiding the orange colored light of the spell. Snape took a step back, and Harry took the time to double check Karkaroff's location off to his left.

The silver haired man looked slightly shocked, and Harry couldn't quite figure out why. He didn't have the time to ponder it, however.

"Diffindo!" Snape hissed. Harry ducked, feeling the spell ruffle his hair as it passed over him.

"Reducto!" Harry charged after his spell. Snape dodged the spell, but barely managed to block Harry's knives.

That's when Karkaroff decided to join the fray. "Expelliarmus!" Harry twisted out of the way, bringing Snape around to take the brunt of the spell. Snape grunted as it struck him in the back, and his wand shot out of his hand, though he managed to hang on to his sword.

Harry swung his foot underneath him just as the spell connected, and Snape toppled to the ground. Harry didn't pause as he skipped over the man towards Karkaroff. The silver haired man jumped sideways to avoid Harry's flung spell, and Harry followed quickly after him.

"Deletrius!" Karkaroff said, again jumping out of Harry's reach. Harry twisted his shoulders back to avoid the spell and immediately ducked when he heard Snape whisper a spell from where he had retrieved his wand. The sickly yellow light of the spell crashed into the wall above beside him, leaving a black scorch in its wake. Harry eyed the man warily.

He spun the handle of the knife in his left hand, drawing the men's immediate attention to the motion and whispered a spell through his right. "Tarantallegra!" It caught Karkaroff off guard, and the spell hit him as he attempted to dodge it. Harry smirked as the man's feet and legs danced without his control.

Not waiting to see what they would do, Harry quickly rushed Snape, sending out a volley of spells to keep the man where he wanted him. Snape had little choice but to shield and counter the attack, effectively keeping him from wandering too far.

Harry's smirk widened as he stepped into range, pulling his daggers up to attack the man. Snape barely had time to recover from the spells before he had to block Harry's blades. They traded a flurry of blows, momentarily matched in skill. Snape was obviously well taught with the sword, and Harry had mastered the skills of the daggers easily. Snape swung his sword high, and Harry ducked to avoid its swing, twirling low to the ground and standing again at Snape's side.

A spell flew past his position and Harry spun around the dark haired man to put a newly recovered Karkaroff into his line of view. Snape didn't pause in his attacks, focusing solely on the sword rather than his wand. Harry watched Karkaroff out of the corner of his eye. The man switched his weapons in his hand and stepped up to the two, attacking Harry from the side with his sword.

Harry swung widely to block the incoming attacks, stepping closer to the two to crowd them. Snape stepped to his other side, trying to hedge him between the two, but Harry wasn't about to let them. He spun on his heal, slashing his knife through Karkaroff's sleeve, and stepped around the man. He kicked the back of his knee and Karkaroff stumbled forward. Snape sidestepped him, and brought his sword down for a strike. Harry, having thought that he didn't need to worry about Karkaroff suddenly tumbled to the floor as the man's leg swept his feet out from under him.

Snape brought his sword down to pin him. Harry dropped his curved blade and raised his hand to cast a spell.

"Avis!" he said. Snape's sword swung wide, missing Harry, as the man was assaulted by a flock of conjured birds. Harry got to his feet, amused at the sight of the two men fighting off the birds, and sent a body bind towards Snape, who didn't manage to dodge it and fell stiffly to the floor. Harry lunged at his remaining foe, who was still flailing at the birds, and twisted the man's arm around his back, pressing his knife to his neck.

"Stupefy." He whispered, and smirked when the man went rigid and toppled to the floor. He eyed the two triumphantly for a moment before letting the moment pass. There was no need to gloat, after all. Harry disarmed the two men, and picked up his own discarded blade before stepping back a few paces and releasing them.

Harry grinned at them as they rose to their feet, Karkaroff nursing his right arm.

"Well gentlemen," he said jovially, twirling Snape's wand in his hand, "That was a fun little duel."

Snape glared at him darkly before speaking. "Impressive, Apprentice."

Harry nodded his head in acknowledgement. Such a compliment from Snape was rare, and he knew that he would get few from the man.

"I admit that I had a bit of an advantage." Harry said, as he returned the wands to their respective owners. "There is no way for you to disarm me, while I can easily take your wand from either of you."

"Indeed." Snape said, apparently a bit sore about being bettered in a duel.

"You can do wandless magic." Malfoy stated, approaching the three. Harry eyed the youth; he had momentarily forgotten that he was there. Harry cocked his head to the side in thought. "You've seen me cast spells before, Malfoy." He said.

The blonde scowled a bit at the reminder. Harry had beaten the boy thoroughly and a bit arrogantly. He had effectively made the boy look less than capable. No doubt the young Malfoy had difficulty swallowing that.

"How?" Karkaroff asked.

Harry sighed softly and peeled the weights off his wrists before he turned his arms upward, showing off the thick scars that ran the length of his forearms. Draco grimaced slightly at the sight. "I bear the cores of two wands within my body. I do not need to carry a wand to cast spells. I simply need to point and shoot." He said with a smirk.

"Looks painful." Draco commented.

"I don't really recall it." Harry said wryly, "I believe I passed out from the pain."

Draco grimaced again before turning away from Harry to Snape. "Professor, will you teach me the sword?"

Snape eyed the boy for a few minutes before nodding.

"Elddir," Snape began, "Show him the basics of the grip."

Harry stared at him. "You want me to show him how to wield a sword?" he said incredulously, "Don't you remember who taught me that particular weapon?"

"Ah yes," Snape sneered. "Indeed. There is no reason to corrupt the boy with Gyffindor's attempt at teaching the sword. Igor, if you would, then."

Harry sighed in relief. The sword really wasn't his best weapon, and wasn't sure that he wanted to try to teach Malfoy, of all people, how to wield one.

Karkaroff sidled up to the young Malfoy, instructing him to shed his outer robe and jumper.

Harry turned from them and crossed the room to his clothes. Saire was still sleeping contentedly within his robe, so he decided not to bother her. Harry listened to Karkaroff's instructions idly as he shed the weights he was wearing and returned them to their original shapes.

"Which is your wand arm" the man asked.

"Right."

"Here, hold the sword, like this. No, shift your thumb a bit, there, yes."

Harry began casting a few cleaning spells and turned around to watch the impromptu lesson. Snape was watching them as well, keeping a critical eye on the both of them.

"When you fight you will dominate with one form or another, either magic or the sword." Karkaroff lectured, "Since your dominate hand is your right, you will wield the sword in the right hand to dominate the fight with the sword. To focus on your magic, you will switch hands, to hold your wand in your right. Because of this, you will need to learn how to wield the sword with both hands."

"This is why Elddir had the upper hand against us." Snape said from the side of the room. "He does not need to worry about a dominate arm, he can wield his magic with either."

Harry started at the words, something sparking in the back of his mind.

"Can you wield a sword in either hand, Elddir?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded absently, trying to figure out why felt like he was missing something. It had something to do with Snape's words, a connection to something that he had missed. Harry ignored the others in favor of figuring out this new riddle.

Riddle.

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, bolting out of the room in dash.

"Elddir!" a voice called from behind him. He heard footsteps behind him, telling him that the three were following him. He didn't care. He crossed the living area of the chambers and stepped out the door. He was about to close it when Snape swung it open again, scowling as he stepped out into the hallway with him.

"What is going on?" he growled.

Harry stepped around behind the door to face the painting on the other side. The three men followed him curiously, one scowling darkly all the while. Harry paid them no mind. He faced the painted image of Salazar with a smirk.

"I figured it out." He said with satisfaction. The founder raised his eyebrow at him in indifference.

"That blasted riddle of yours." Harry continued, waving a finger at the man in the portrait. "I got it."

"What are you going on about, Elddir?" Snape snarled. Harry glanced at him shortly before returning his gaze to the Founder.

"The arm that holds the sword." Harry said, still smirking, "His right hand man. That's where I will find him."

"Apprentice." Snape growled.

"It took you long enough, Heir." Salazar said silkily. Harry scowled at him.

"You could have just told me, you know." He grumped.

"Then you wouldn't have had to think about it." Salazar countered.

"Git." Harry said with a glare.

"Apprentice!" Snape snapped. Harry spun around, to face the man.

"Explain!"

Harry eyed the three for a moment before shrugging. "Salazar set me a riddle, and I just figured it out."

"A riddle." Snape said, tonelessly.

Harry nodded. "Remember when I told you about my Task?" Snape didn't move, and didn't stop glaring, although the level of his glare decreased slightly.

"Task?" Draco asked.

"Sal here is the one who set it to me." Harry gestured to the portrait behind him, who glared at his back for the nickname. "Thing is I don't know where to find him, so I asked Sal, but he set me a riddle rather than tell me straight out." Harry glanced over his shoulder to return the Founder's glare. "And I just figured out the first part of it." He said to the three before him.

Snape's glare lessened considerably, though he didn't acknowledge Harry's explanation.

"Who do you need to find?" Draco asked, clearly not having a clue as to what the conversation pertained to. Harry eyed the men before him for a moment. All three were deeply embroiled within Voldemort's forces in their own manner. Even though none of them were at Voldemort's current beck and call, they would still be able to give the answer he needed. The question, however, is whether or not they would be willing to tell him.

"Who is Voldemort's right hand man?" he asked them.

**

* * *

The Challenge Question: And it continues…here is a breakdown of the clues thus far:**

1. "Its not who you think it is." (It isn't Remus, Snape, Moody or Hermione).

2. "He/She is over their majority." (Older than 17, FYI).

3. He/She is NOT a regular resident of Hogwarts.

4. New Clue, number four: I suppose I could tell you that he is, indeed, a he.


	20. A Slytherin Conversation

**Author's Note:** Just a few responses to some reviews that struck a chord, or two, with me:

_ShadowMagik_, you really want Harry to be good with a sword, don't you? And I agree that the dagger/knife combination is very Slytherin-esque, but that's half the point. Oh, Harry doesn't necessarily suck at sword-fighting, Snape is just that good. And just because you're so intent on it, I'll let you know that the Sword of Gryffindor will make an appearance…sometime later. ;)

_Shade_, now, now, killing someone off already? Heh, since you said please…I'll think about it…

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOooo

"Who do you need to find?" Draco asked, clearly not having a clue as to what the conversation pertained to. Harry eyed the men before him for a moment. All three were deeply embroiled within Voldemort's forces in their own manner. Even though none of them were at Voldemort's current beck and call, they would still be able to give the answer he needed. The question, however, is whether or not they would be willing to tell him.

"Who is Voldemort's right hand man?" he asked them.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty**

oooOoooOoooOooo

**A Slytherin Conversation**

oooOoooOoooOooo

Snape didn't so much as twitch, which didn't surprise Harry in the least. Karkaroff choked slightly, and turned away politely to dislodge whatever he got stuck in his throat, while Draco stared at him with a slightly panicked expression, though he recovered quickly enough. Harry watched them all expectantly. He wasn't going to let them get out of an answer.

Harry resisted the urge to tap his foot impatiently as the three Slytherins before him glanced surreptitiously between each other. Harry pretended not to notice and simply looked at them expectantly.

Snape was the first to respond, by crossing his arms over his chest and studying his Apprentice intensely. Clearly, the man wasn't about to say anything. Harry shifted his gaze to the Bulgarian. Karkaroff sent a quick look towards Snape before turning back to the youth before him and copying the other's movements.

Harry then turned to the youngest of his…victims and raised an eyebrow expectantly. Draco's eyes shifted a bit, his nerves breaking through his mask subtly. Harry hid his amusement at the three. Really, they were so predictable.

"Who is Voldemort's right hand man?" Harry asked them again.

"And what, prey tell, makes you presume that we would have an answer to such a question?" Snape asked. Harry briefly wondered if the man was able to string together a sentence that didn't have to be translated by those hearing it.

Harry met the man's dark eyes squarely, and then pointedly trailed his gaze down the man's shoulder and arm to rest on the location of the Dark mark beneath the heavy robes. Without waiting for his 'masters' reaction Harry then repeated his actions with the other two, ending with his eyes on the young Malfoy's left forearm.

All three men held their masks together quite admirably, in Harry's opinion, though he expected nothing less from three of the most Slytherin men he had ever met besides Salazar himself. Slytherins had a knack with hiding their thoughts and emotions, even projected false ones; a talent that had not come naturally to Harry. Salazar had spent all five years he was with the Founders training him to wear and hold onto a mask like any Slytherin. By the end of his time there, Harry had mastered the skill, though wasn't very fond of Salazar – not that he ever really was.

"Who is Voldermort's right hand man?" he asked for a third time, though his voice was noticeably lower and more powerful. He wanted an answer. He knew they had it, and he was going to get what he wanted.

They knew it too; by the tone of his voice and the power laced into his words.

Snape studied him intently, almost curious, before gesturing towards his chambers. No doubt the man was curious about 'Darion's' sudden ability to inflect his magic and power into his voice. Harry hadn't yet used the skill in the company of those from his own time. Snape, as his Master, should know all of his Apprentice's skills, but Harry had purposefully only given the man a basic list. Harry smirked internally. As if he would give away all his secrets so easily. Salazar had taught him well.

Harry nodded, twirled on his heel and entered, knowing and feeling the three follow after him. Harry stopped before the fireplace, turning to look at the three, drawing up his own mask to match theirs. He figured that there wasn't really any better time to reveal a few of his Slytherin trained abilities.

At least the three before him would notice and appreciate it.

Karkaroff looked a little startled when he noticed Harry's decidedly Slytherin look and stance – despite the youth's state of half dress. Malfoy eyed him warily, but didn't seem the least bit surprised. Harry supposed that the boy wouldn't be. After all, Malfoy had been on the receiving end of some of Darion's more Slytherin traits already. Snape sneered at him before again crossing his arms and pointedly keeping his mouth shut, although Harry saw a strange gleam in the man's eyes.

Harry simply looked at them. He refused to state the question for a fourth time. The men knew what he wanted. Harry didn't even grace them with a raised brow.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, drawing Harry's immediate attention, before looking over to the two older men. Snape nodded almost imperceptibly, not taking his eyes from his Apprentice.

"My father." Draco said. The boy's reply had almost been expected, but _hardly_ welcome, and Harry felt the tell-tale heat of his anger as it bloomed. If the answer to Salazar's riddle was the senior Malfoy, than Harry would be less than pleased.

Harry looked at the boy fully, not bothering to mask the intensity of his eyes, knowing that they would likely unnerve the young blonde.

"My father," he repeated, "Lucius Malfoy."

Harry nodded once, curtly, and strode across the room to the door.

"Apprentice." Snape's voice stopped him. Harry glanced over his shoulder in acknowledgement, though didn't actually look at the man.

"How?" the man said simply. Harry, however, didn't need anything more. He knew what was being asked.

"I can feel auras, including those of spells and stationary charms. The Dark Mark has a distinctive feel to it and is particularly easy to sense." Harry cocked his head to the side in thought. "Admittedly, I may just be more attuned to its type of magic, its particular…signature, if you will."

"Why would you be so attuned to it?" Karkaroff asked.

"Because it is my Task." Harry replied without facing them. "Because I am a Founders' Heir."

He left the chambers, then, before they could respond, closing the door firmly behind him. He whirled sharply on his heals, throwing up a variety of wards and charms for privacy as he faced the Founder's portrait.

"ss,Sal,.ss" he hissed with a purr, which caused said Founder to arch a brow at him. "ss,I do hope that you aren't trying to lead me on a merry chase for your own twisted pleasure,ss" he continued in a low, sultry tone, "ss,because if you are, I may just rip you from that canvas and shred you into pieces. I do not appreciate being moved about like a pawn on a chess board, and I will _not_ take such shite from you,ss"

"ss,Tut, tut, Heir,.ss" Salazar started airily.

"Shut up, old man." Harry snarled, managing to make the phrase insulting in a way it most certainly wasn't when he called Albus such. "I am sick and tired of your games, Slytherin. What purpose did such a pointless riddle have?"

"To make you think."

"That's a load of bloody bull, and you know it." Harry snapped, "The Malfoy Manor is more shut up than your blasted chamber, and Lucius is in no condition to serve as a second. Why point me to him when he is of no use to me nor my Task?"

Salazar sneered at him, unperturbed by Harry's anger and frustration. Harry clenched his fists tightly to avoid trying to reach through the canvas to throttle the infuriating man. He had suspected the riddle, but pursued it anyways. He hadn't, however, thought that the blasted thing would serve no purpose.

"ss,Bastard,ss" He hissed, turning from the portrait to pace in front of it. Salazar watched him with irritation, but didn't comment on the Heir's furious pacing.

"Why, Salazar?" Harry threw at him without pausing, "Why the riddle? What does Lucius have to do with anything? He should be dead twice over." He mumbled darkly.

"Not everything is about you, Heir."

Harry sent him a glare. "Then why did you give me the bloody riddle?"

"Because you asked for it."

Harry snorted, still not slowing his pace. "What are you trying to get me to do, Salazar? You don't do things just for the thrill of it. Why point me towards Malfoy?"

The Founder was silent, which, strangely, both irritated and soothed the pacing youth. Harry paid both feelings little thought. He opened his mouth to snap out another thought when the door in front of him opened to admit Snape. The man glanced at him, away, and then snapped his eyes back to him when he noticed Harry's clear show of irritation, anger and frustration.

The Potions Master glanced up and down the corridor momentarily, which Harry used as cover to take down all his wards without the man knowing, and reign in his emotions. By the time Snape returned his gaze to him Harry was no longer sending off waves of frustration and looking like he would gleefully tear something apart into little pieces.

Snape blinked at the sudden change, though Harry caught the hint of approval in the man's eyes. "I know I need not remind you of the perils of the knowledge you hold,"

"Good," Harry said curtly, "because I'm in no mood for such a lecture."

"Speak to the Headmaster on the matter." Snape said firmly.

"It's not necessary."

"Do it anyways." Snape snapped, "You need to understand."

"It is not necessary." Harry said, "I already know more than you think I do."

"You hold the lives of,"

"Stop," Harry hissed at him. "I already know. Don't waste your breath on your defense when it isn't needed."

Snape glared at him for a moment before nodding sharply and stalked past Harry down the hall. Harry watched the man until he disappeared around a corner, thinking, not for the first time, that the man resembled an overgrown bat.

Harry heaved a sigh, sent one more death glare towards the Founder in his painting and entered the chambers once again.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry sat at the Slytherin table later for the evening meal. Saire was curled visibly around his shoulders instead of within his shirt for once. The sight apparently made no few of the students nervous. One young Ravenclaw girl had even shrieked upon seeing her, much to Harry's surprise and later amusement. Some of the Slytherins were fidgeting as well, which amused Harry to no end.

He had cooled off considerably after his talk with the Founder, though he was still irritated with him. He didn't understand why Salazar would give him a riddle to point him towards the Malfoys. They had discussed Harry's plan for dealing with Voldemort and it didn't include him hunting the Dark Lord down in his own hiding place, though they had considered the option. Given, if Tom didn't come to him, then Harry would have to hunt him down. Either way, Harry was still puzzled by Salazar's riddle, and Lucius' involvement. He just couldn't figure out what the Slytherin Founder was trying to get him to figure out, or do, or whatever. Really, the man was worse than Albus at times.

Draco approached and seated himself across the table silently, pulling Harry from his thoughts. He eyed the serpent for a moment but made no comment on his old 'pet'.

Harry surreptitiously watched the boy through the meal, curious about his feelings on revealing his own father. Draco hadn't spoken to him, but didn't seem to be anything more than deep in thought.

Harry didn't blame him. The boy had just revealed one of Voldemort's secrets to a guy who was most likely on the side of the Light. Harry knew, even if Draco didn't, that Tom would see such a revelation as traitorous. Draco had to watch himself if word ever got out that he had told such information. The Death Eaters would not be pleased with him.

Harry had already decided to protect the kid by not giving away his source. Draco had willingly given it up; Harry wouldn't turn him in for it.

"How long?" Harry asked softly, careful not to draw attention to the conversation from the other Slytherins. Draco looked up at him, confused at first. Harry dropped his eyes to the boy's left forearm briefly. The blonde studied him for a moment, and Harry met his eyes neutrally.

"Two months." He said. Harry nodded and returned to his meal.

"I was not aware of it." Draco said a bit hesitantly. Harry looked at him, his turn to be confused at the other boy's words. "I woke with it." Draco said, shifting his left arm subtly.

Harry was shocked and more than a little angry, much to his surprise, at Draco's revelation.

"You…" he stopped himself, wary of the students around them. Draco nodded though. Harry sat back in his seat, pondering the new view he had of his old rival.

Draco had refused the mark, or at least had hesitated to take it. Someone had spelled or drugged the kid and then took him before Voldemort. Draco had woken with the Dark Mark on his arm, unaware of receiving it.

"Who?" Harry asked curiously, though not demanding. He wasn't going to force Draco to tell him, though he already suspected the boy's answer.

"I've already named him." Draco said.

Harry nodded. His father. No wonder Draco gave up the name without much fuss. No doubt the boy felt at least disappointed, and very possibly betrayed.

"How?"

"I'm not sure." Draco said quietly, glancing down the length of the table for a moment before turning back to him. "A potion, I suspect." He said as he tipped his goblet a bit.

Harry nodded. Likely, one of the last things Draco remembered was dinner, probably with his family, and then waking later, or the next morning with the Dark Mark burned into his arm. Harry decided that he would have to speak with the boy more on the subject at a later time. He was curious just how much he remembered from the ordeal, among other things.

"Do you approve?" Harry asked, absently stroking Saire's head.

"No."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the boy's barely hidden disgust. "Indeed." He said neutrally, a bit surprised at the boy's reaction.

"No, I don't approve." Draco repeated firmly. Somehow, Harry knew that he was speaking of more than just the mark on his arm.

"Your reputation says otherwise." Harry commented.

"I know."

Harry nodded again, believing the boy, somewhat to his surprise. He would never have suspected that Draco didn't approve of Voldemort's campaign. Granted, Harry had barely spared Draco a thought during his time with the Founders. After receiving his Task from Salazar, Voldemort's own ancestor, he really shouldn't be surprised that other Slytherin students would reject the Dark Lord, even Draco Malfoy.

They fell silent, both continuing with the last of their meals. It wasn't until the dishes were cleared and desert appeared that Harry realized that Cin hadn't shown himself for dinner.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Challenge Question:** Who will figure out that Darion Elddir is really Harry Potter first? Here's a breakdown of the clues so far…

1. "Its not who you think it is." (It isn't Remus, Snape, Moody or Hermione).

2. "He is over the majority." (Older than 17, FYI).

3. He is NOT a regular resident of Hogwarts.

4. He is a he.

5. New clue: I'm not sure if I want to give you any more…fine, fine, it's not a Weasley. That should take care of quite a few people…heh, entirely too many Weasley's to guess from anyways…

Oh…I'm not going to tell you the answer or if someone guessed it right (which a few did, by the way) because I don't want to ruin the surprise…you'll know in the next chapter anyways.


	21. Hello, Harry Potter

**Author's Note:** A few responses:

_Curalium Lacrimo_, hehe. I had wondered if anyone would connect the whole Aberforth getting in trouble with Albus' animagus form. Kudos for you!

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOooo

After receiving his Task from Salazar, Voldemort's own ancestor, he really shouldn't be surprised that other Slytherin students would reject the Dark Lord, even Draco Malfoy.

They fell silent, both continuing with the last of their meals. It wasn't until the dishes were cleared and desert appeared that Harry realized that Cin hadn't shown himself for dinner.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Hello, Harry Potter**

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry glanced around the still full Hall, wondering where his Familiar had gotten off to. When no sign of the Griffin could be seen in the Great Hall Harry rose from the table, giving a slight node to Draco, and headed for the doors.

It wasn't – at all – like Cin to miss a meal.

Scratching his forehead absently, Harry checked internally for the link he shared with the cub. He knew that Cin was fine and healthy, but he had no idea where the blasted cub was.

"Darion!"

Harry paused and turned to see Hermione walk up to him, clutching her bag to her chest.

"Hello, Hermion." He greeted.

"Darion, I wondered if I could talk with you."

"Sure, I was just about to go looking for my lost Familiar, you're welcome to walk with me now if you like." He offered.

She nodded and he led her out of the Hall, running a list of possible locations Cin could have gotten off to in his head.

"Your, familiar," Hermione began, "He's missing?"

"Not so much missing as he's just not here. Considering it's the middle of the last meal of the day, that's a little unusual." Harry said with a wry grin.

Hermione blinked at him, and he held in a chuckle.

"He never misses a meal." He explained, "In which case I'm deeply curious as to what's holding him up."

"Do you know where he might be?"

"My first guess is the kitchen." Harry grinned, "If he didn't come to me for food, my guess is that he found it somewhere else."

"What is he?" Hermione asked. "He looks like a Griffin, but he's the wrong color."

"He is a Griffin, an Ash Griffin to be exact."

"An Ash Griffin? I've never heard of them."

"Hagrid could tell you all about them," Harry chuckled, "He was just about jumping in place when he saw Cin."

"Hagrid has a rather…unique fascination with creatures bearing claws, teeth or other danger." Hermione said.

"Harry smiled a bit at that. Hagrid indeed loved dangerous animals. Actually, the more dangerous they were, the more the half giant seemed to love them. "He does, doesn't he?" he said fondly.

Hermione looked at him a bit strangely for a moment, but smiled at the thought of Hagrid as well. They reached the painting to the kitchen and entered into the midst of a flock of House Elves, no doubt busy with the closing of the meal upstairs. One of them spotted the two in the doorway and hurried over anxiously.

"What can Mitty do for you?" the creature asked. Harry figured that the Elf was female.

Harry smiled reassuringly, "Hi, Mitty." He said, "I'm looking for a small Griffin cub named Cin. Is he in here?"

"No, sir, Cin isn't here. Hasn't been at all."

"Thank you, Mitty. That's all I needed."

The Elf bowed its head once before returning to the bustle of the kitchen. Harry looked around him a bit, wondering if Dobby was there, but not seeing the excitable little Elf, which given Hermione's presence was probably a good thing, he turned to leave. He would have to remember to seek out the House Elf at a later date to have a little chat.

"So now where?" Hermione asked as they started back down the hall.

"I have no idea." Harry said dryly. "Outside, perhaps. Who knows, with Cin."

They walked up towards the Entrance Hall in silence, while Harry again tried to think up locations that the cub could have gotten off to. The problem was that his list was too long; Cin had a habit of sticking his beak into everything and anything that grabbed the cub's short attention. Harry really had no idea where the little beast was; outdoors was simply a guess.

He again rubbed his forehead at an itching sensation. The scars from the wands occasionally gave him fits, sending out tingling or itching feelings. Apparently that night was just one of those times. It was really rather annoying.

"Oh, Darion, I had a question for you." Hermione said as they exited the castle.

"Sure, shoot away." Harry said, scanning the grounds from the steps.

"Ah, remember a few days ago…when you caught the rat in the castle?"

Harry started a bit at her words, turning to look at her momentarily before catching himself and returning to his perusal of the castle grounds. He nodded as he started towards the lake.

"I was curious," the girl followed, "how did you know that he was an animagus?"

Harry glanced over at her. He had expected the question from her eventually, which was part of the reason he had avoided the girl since the incident. He stuck with the same story that he had given to the Order, which was true for the most part. It just wasn't _all_ of the truth.

"I can sense auras." He said, "Not so much as to be able to identify individuals, whether they are spells or persons, but I can still sense that he was no ordinary rat."

"Really?" Hermione said excitedly, "That's fascinating."

Harry hummed his agreement. "It's particularly helpful in duels." He said.

"Yes, I can see that." She said thoughtfully.

Harry didn't look over at her, still scanning the area around the lake and nearby forest for his wayward familiar. They had come a decent distance, and were nearing the edge of the school's boundary wards. He ignored the itch on his forehead as well as the urge to scratch at it.

"You know, even the Prefects are to be in their common rooms by curfew." He commented.

Hermione stopped walking at his words and he paused to turn and face her. The girl looked shocked, and appeared to be trying to find something to say in her defense.

He quirked a grin at her, "I wouldn't have known you were lurking about that night in the hall if you hadn't revealed that you knew I had actually caught him."

She blushed slightly, realizing her mistake. Harry smirked a bit. He really hadn't known that the girl was around the area when he and the Order hunted down Wormtail from his hole. Her use of the word 'caught' snagged his attention since he hadn't actually caught the rat when the group of students was there.

"Ah, I…" she struggled to find an explanation. Harry decided not to make her suffer too much.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione." He waved nonchalantly and turned back towards the lake. "You deserve to know that he was caught and not still lurking about the castle."

Harry frowned as he connected the growing itch in his forehead to an old sensation; one that he hadn't felt for a long time. It wasn't the scars from the wands acting up at all. It was his curse scar. He hadn't felt it for over five years, ever since before he went to the Founders. Voldemort was probably throwing a royal fit somewhere enough to transmit some of his emotions through the link. Harry tried to ignore it and focus on the girl beside him.

"Do you know who he is?" she asked as she fell into step with him.

"Yes." He said shortly, hoping that she wouldn't go into _how_ he knew the animagus. Thankfully she didn't; at least not quickly enough.

"Darion Elddir…" a voice hissed out of the shadows of the forest near them.

Harry stopped and spun towards the voice, one hand raised before him while the other went to his belt, prepared to fight. He sidled over to stand in front of Hermione, who had her wand out before her, to his slight surprise and pride. She was quick.

He peered into the shadows, trying to identify the owner of the voice, though it sounded eerily familiar to him. He ignored the increase of sensation in his scar, and scowled at the figure before him. No wonder his scar was itching. His occlumency prevented him from feeling pain or allowing access to Voldemort, but if he got too close to the bastard, he was bound to feel something.

"Hello, Tom." Harry said coldly. Hermione sucked in a breath, having identified the man – creature – before them.

"Darion," he purred, stepping forward a bit into the dim light. Harry glared at him, hardly recognizing the creature before him as the boy he had met with the Founders.

"What do you want, Tom?"

"An answer."

"To what?" Harry snapped.

"Just a simple question."

"Stop being coy," Harry nearly hissed, "it doesn't become you."

Voldemort glared at him a moment before making a gesture and a second figure stepped forward. Harry held himself back from attacking, barely.

"Bellatrix," he hissed between his teeth. The woman stepped up to Voldemort's side, holding a bound and struggling Griffin cub at arms length. Harry scowled darkly, barely restraining himself from flinging spells at the two.

"Ah, as I had thought…" Voldemort mumbled. Harry tore his eyes from the woman to mmet the red ones of his nemesis.

"You're dead." He said coldly. "No one threatens me or mine without paying for it."

"Ah, ah, Darion." Voldemort purred, "Or should I call you by your true name?"

Harry cringed as a wave of pain was sent through his scar, battering at the shields around his mind. So Voldemort knew. No doubt he felt their link, and figured it out.

"My name doesn't matter." Harry said, reinforcing the walls in his brain, trying to dampen the pain being thrown at him.

"Really? Even to your 'friends'?" Voldemort said, eyeing Hermione.

Harry ignored the girl's confused look at their conversation. She was smart enough to figure it all out, especially if their conversation continued the way it had started.

"Tell me," Harry said, letting his hands fall loosely to his sides, "Are you really so powerful that you would risk coming to Hogwarts, beneath Albus' nose, or are you still the idiotic boy you were with the Founders?"

Voldemort snarled at him, and raised his wand to point at his chest. Harry merely smirked at him.

"Perhaps you lost some of your brains when you lost your body." Harry offered as he shifted to stand close to Hermione.

"I've you to thank for that." Voldemort snarled.

"You can blame no one but yourself." Harry said, "After all, I was merely a baby."

Hermione gasped beside him, staring at him, though Harry barely heard her over Voldemort's roar and the spell speeding towards him.

Harry grabbed onto the girl's arm and slid them across the grounds about twenty meters to the side of their positions. Voldemort's spell scorched the ground where they had been standing, and Harry cringed at the thought of it actually connecting with him. It wouldn't have been pleasant. He left the girl and immediately slid back towards his nemesis, emerging directly infront of Bellatrix with his hand wrapped around her throat.

"Stupidy." He whispered before she had a chance to assess the situation. Harry cringed as Saire made herself known and struck out at the woman, sinking her fangs into Bellatrix's shoulder just as Harry's spell took effect. She went slack in his grasp, releasing her hold of the Griffin. He didn't let her go, however, and Saire again curled around his shoulders, baring her teeth at the Dark Lord.

Voldemort had tracked his movements by then, and his spell sliced through his side and crashed into Bellatrix's chest as Harry spun around her, using the woman as a shield.

"I caught your rat." Harry informed the man over the woman's shoulder, pressing his free hand to his side to assess his wound. It wasn't deep, but he would have to heal it before he lost too much blood.

It also hurt a bloody hell of a lot.

Voldemort snarled out another spell which Harry avoided by sliding again, still not releasing the woman in his grasp. He emerged behind the Dark Lord, and he waved a hand towards his Familiar, releasing the cub from his bindings. Harry spared the cub a look to make sure he was alright before addressing Voldemort again.

"He was stupid enough to show himself." Harry said, "He was predictably easy to catch."

"He's hardly worth the loss." Voldemort said, fingering his wand and eyeing Harry coldly.

"Perhaps not, but it was very satisfactory." Harry smirked.

"Tell me, _Darion_, What is your Task?"

Harry met the man's eyes evenly, letting his glee and satisfaction show through his gaze. He felt his lip curl slightly into a smirk.

"You." He whispered as he tossed a small vial of potion towards his familiar. Voldemort either didn't see the small movement, or didn't care. Cin immediately pounced on it, cracking the glass with his beak to allow the potion to slide down his throat.

"Convello!" Harry said and slid as soon as the spell left his fingers. He reappeared, still holding onto Bellatrix, to Voldemort's side. Harry smirked as he caught sight of his familiar. He cast a binding spell at the man, which was blocked as he expected.

But Voldemort didn't expect the Griffin to leap at him with claws, teeth and talons trained for his flesh. The Dark Lord especially didn't expect the small cub to be a fully grown Ash Griffin. Voldemort barely had time to duck the creature and send a nasty glare towards Harry. Harry simply looked back at him with satisfaction.

"ss,I'll get you, Potter,ss" he hissed. "ss,You're on borrowed time,ss"

"ss,Salazar told me to tell you that your own time is long overdue,ss" Harry said, motioning slightly with his free hand. "ss,You're demise is my Task, and I will _not_ fail in mine as you failed yours,ss"

Voldemort growled threateningly and raised his wand towards Harry, which was Cin's signal.

The large Griffin sprung at the man, snarling as his talons dug into Voldemort's right shoulder. Harry smirked at his yell of pain. Cin went to bite into his neck but Voldemort managed to spin out of the creature's grasp.

With one last glare and hissed spell, Voldemort apparated away as Cin pounced again.

Harry stepped to the side to avoid the hastily cast spell, watching absently as the sickly yellow light crashed into a tree and shredded the wood straight through. The tree groaned threateningly, and Harry watched it, wary of it falling, and thinking that it would not have been a pleasant experience to be hit with such a spell.

He let his hold of Bellatrix go, and cast a hovering charm over her prone form so he wouldn't have to hold the woman. A closer look revealed a rather nasty gash along her chest, which was bleeding profusely. Recalling the curse that had caused it he winced. There was no way to heal it. The curse wouldn't allow a healing spell or potion to close the wound. He wasn't sure if she would survive such a cut. It looked to be very deep, and her skin was already pale and clammy.

He really couldn't bring himself to care, but cast a stasis charm over her anyways. Poppy could try to heal her if she wanted to. He wasn't about to waste energy healing the woman. He would rather she be dead anyways.

Turning to his own injuries, he held in a wince as he prodded the cut on his side. Clearly, though, Bellatrix had gotten the worst end of the curse. He groaned, thinking that he really didn't need another scar. He pressed a hand against it to stem the flow of blood, bemoaning the tiring effects of dark cutting curses that couldn't be healed with magic.

He turned to his dark familiar, who was pawing at the ground in irritation.

"Let off, Cin." He said shortly, "He's gone."

Cin let out another snarl but stopped clawing at the ground to approach him. Harry rested a hand on the Griffin's head, which now reached past his shoulders. Cin let out a huff, but allowed Harry to stroke his dark fur, soothing him. After a moment the large Griffin began a soft, low purr. Harry smiled a bit at the sound.

"Come on, Cin." He said, "Albus will be wanting to know what's happened."

Harry began walking towards the castle, Bellatrix in tow, and Cin following at his side. He continued to stroke his familiar as they walked; both taking and giving comfort.

Then he noticed Hermione.

The girl hadn't moved from the spot he had left her in, though her expression had certainly changed. Harry paused a few paces before her, studying her as she stared at him in a mixture of expressions that he couldn't quite identify.

"Harry?" she whispered, almost fearfully. He watched her for a moment before smiling slightly, reassuring.

"Hi, Hermione."

oooOoooOoooOooo

**The Challenge Question:** Kudos to all those who guessed Voldemort, you all know who you are.


	22. Stitches

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

Then he noticed Hermione.

The girl hadn't moved from the spot he had left her in, though her expression had certainly changed. Harry paused a few paces before her, studying her as she stared at him in a mixture of expressions that he couldn't quite identify.

"Harry?" she whispered, almost fearfully. He watched her for a moment before smiling slightly, reassuring.

"Hi, Hermione."

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Twenty Two**

**

* * *

Stitches**

* * *

"Harry, you're alive." Hermione whispered.

Harry smiled. "Aye, I'm alive."

Hermione stared at him, and he cut off her impending words. "We can talk later, Hermione, but I need to visit Poppy, talk to Albus and have a little chat with a few portraits."

The girl nodded slightly, not taking her eyes from him.

"Please keep this to yourself," Harry said, "I'll answer your questions, I'm sure you have loads, but I would rather not deal with the chaos that will happen if this gets out just yet."

"Ah sure, Har…uh, Dar…oh." Hermione struggled.

"Just Darion, Hermione." Harry said giving her a smile, "Just Darion."

She nodded, still staring at him rather strangely.

"I'm not going to disappear, Hermione."

"You did before." She whispered. Harry grimaced slightly.

"I suppose I did." He acknowledged, and began the trek towards the castle. Hermione started at the movement but fell into step beside him, casting worried glances over at him, and glares at the bloodied woman floating behind him. Cin walked by his other side, and Harry kept a hand on the Griffin's shoulder, partly for the companionship, and partly to hold himself up.

They were met halfway by a troop of professors coming out of the school. Harry looked over the group, picking up the various emotions running through them all, pointedly ignoring Moody's suspicious looks.

"Darion, what happened?" Albus asked him.

"Oh, nothing much," Harry said nonchalantly. Hermione stared at him like he had lost his mind. Harry shrugged. "Just a friendly visit from the Dark Lord, is all."

"A friendly visit!" Hermione exclaimed. "If you call that friendly, then I don't want to know what you would call a meeting between enemies."

Harry sent a smirk in her direction, but before he could respond, Moody made his suspicions known.

"What did you have to do with the Dark Lord, Apprentice." The old Auror growled. Harry eyed the man, only slightly wary of the wand in his hand.

"He just came for a chat." Harry said, watching the man carefully.

"Or an update." Moody growled. Harry's neutral look turned to a glare.

"Do not imply that I serve that monster, Mad-Eye." He said in a deadly whisper, "It's an insult that I will not ignore."

"Alastor, that is enough." Albus said.

"Headmaster, you can't possibly…"

"I can and I do!"

Harry started at the old man's voice. Albus wasn't easily riled up, and to hear the old man raise his voice in anger was a rare occasion, even when he was young. Apparently Moody's unfounded suspicions were getting on the nerves of more than just Harry.

The group stared at the Headmaster, no doubt never hearing the man raise his voice either.

"I trust Darion with my life, Moody." Albus said in a softer, but stern tone. "You would do well to remember that."

Moody stared at him, apparently too shocked to respond. Harry didn't blame him. Albus Dumbledore mad isn't a fun thing to mess with.

"Now, Darion," Albus turned to him, "What happened?"

"Tom came by to have a chat. He wanted to know my Task." Harry said, "He bound Cin, we had a little scuffle, and I managed to nab us a Death Eater." He finished with a dark grin, and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to the woman floating behind him.

The group of professors all eyed the stiff form of Bellatrix with an array of expressions. McGonagoll gasped at the sight, clamping a hand over her mouth, no doubt just noticing the floating Death Eater behind him.

"What on earth happened to her?" she whispered.

"The Secare Curse." Harry said, watching their reactions. He could tell that they all knew what the spell was and its effects. The Secare Curse was a cutting curse that could not be healed by the normal means.

"I've placed a stasis charm over her," Harry said to Albus, "You can have Poppy try to heal her if you want, I have no desire to do so."

Albus nodded, his eyes traveling over the large Griffin at his side.

"Cin?" he asked, eyeing the 'cub' with interest.

Harry nodded. "A growth potion. It should wear off sometime tomorrow."

Albus' eyes twinkled a bit. "I was not aware that you training him to fight in his adult form."

"It was a new idea that Helga came up with a few months after you left." Harry said with a smile, "Cin took to it rather well."

"Indeed, it appears that he did."

"Darion, your injured!" Hermione all but screeched from his side. He started and turned to her. She was staring at his side, where one of his hands was still pressed against the cut. Apparently she hadn't realized it earlier.

"Mr. Elddir, you should go to the hospital wing." McGonagoll said.

"I'm fine." Harry said, "It's not deep."

She eyed him a moment. "What caused it?"

Harry waved her off, he didn't feel like dealing with them all making a fuss over him when the learned that his own wound was from the same curse that had hit Bellatrix.

"Albus," he said, "Would you like to deal with her?" he nodded towards the prone form behind him.

"Of course." The old man said, "Perhaps Poppy will be able to stabilize her wounds."

Harry scowled. "If you insist. I suppose life in Azkaban would be more fitting than a death by her own Master's hand, however much it wasn't intended."

"Her Master's hand? Do you mean the Dark Lord did this to her?" McGonagoll asked.

"Well, sort of." Harry shrugged. "It was his spell, although it was meant for me."

The Griffindor Head stared at him, the implications of his sentence hitting her a little harder than expected. Harry didn't really blame her. The easy going nature he had shown to the inhabitants of the castle so far wouldn't use another person as a shield, even against Voldemort. The woman probably didn't quite know what to do with her new view of him.

"Well, to the castle, then." Albus said jovially, taking control of the hovering charm placed over Bellatrix. Harry shook his head in amusement, and followed him towards the school, still supporting himself on his Familiar slightly, and ignoring the looks from Hermione.

They made it to the Infirmary without incident. McGonagoll immediately disappeared to holler for the MediWtich as Albus settled Bellatrix's form on one of the beds. Hermione glared at him, pointing to a bed, until he complied and sat on one of the beds himself. Cin sat on his haunches on the floor beside him, and rested his head on his lap. Harry ran his fingers through the creature's feathers absently.

"Back so soon, Darion?" a familiar voice asked. Harry glanced up along the walls, and met the eyes of a portrait that hung above the door.

"I couldn't very well not come and say hi, you know." He said cheekily. The woman eyed him sternly from her frame.

"What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything." He said defensively.

"Who did you hex, and what hit you?" the woman asked. Harry pouted playfully.

"Ah, Helga, you so easily assume I did something?"

The Founder simply looked at him. Harry sniffed.

"Tom Riddle and a cutting curse." He said, faking a petulant look.

"Riddle, again? What sparked this confrontation?"

"He started it." Harry said.

"I'm sure he did, after you roused his ire, no doubt." The woman said dryly.

"I did no such thing! He cast the first spell."

"What did you say to him to make him angry enough to start flinging spells at you?"

Harry looked away sheepishly, though he was laughing inside. "I just told him that he was in idiot, is all." He said innocently, fiddling with the covers of the bed in an innocent manner.

The woman in the portrait sighed dramatically and Harry cut her off before she could say anything. "But he bound Cin, I was obligated to retaliate."

"He bound him? How on earth did he manage that?"

"I have no idea, actually." Harry said, turning to his Familiar, "How did he manage to get you?"

The Griffin growled at the memory as he sent a series of images in to Harry's mind. Harry paused, sorting through the jumbled pictures before he could make much sense of them. Apparently the Griffin had been caught completely unaware, having been upwind of his attackers. Voldemort was able to place bindings around the cub without much difficulty.

"Tom snuck up on him." Harry said to the woman. She nodded and looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"I'm sure you could have retrieved your Familiar without engaging in a battle." She said sternly.

"Probably." Harry said with a smirk, "But that wouldn't have been any fun."

"Therefore," the woman continued, ignoring his words, "You fully deserve the injuries you garnered from the encounter."

Harry glared mildly at the woman, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's hardly fair." He pouted.

"Mr. Elddir!"

Harry looked around to find everyone staring at him, no doubt intrigued by the conversation he had with the Hufflepuff Founder, but it was the MediWitch that had called him. Apparently she had come in while he was busy trading words with Helga.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey?"

"You will have to remove your pet, I will not have animals in my ward." The woman said sternly. Harry didn't move.

"Cin is not my 'pet', Madam, he is my Familiar, and he will not leave."

Pomfrey looked about to say something more before she was interrupted.

"You may as well let the Griffin stay, Poppy." Helga said, "I never could get the two to separate from each other when one is injured."

The MediWitch didn't look at all pleased but nodded at the Founder before turning to look at the youth. Her eyes quickly scanned him, picking up on his blood covered side immediately.

"Take off your shirt and let me have a look at that." She said, standing over him with her wand at the ready.

"That's not necessary, Madam." He said, replacing a hand over the wound.

"Nonsense."

"Really, Madam, you cannot heal it anyways." He said.

"I assure you, Mr. Elddir, that I am an accomplished MediWitch, and…"

"I have no doubt in your skills, Madam Pomfrey," he interrupted, "but you cannot heal the cut made by a Secare Curse with spells and potions."

She gasped, as did a few of the others in the room at his words. Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. The wound really wasn't all that bad.

"Let me see it, Mr. Elddir. You could bleed to death with a cut like that."

Harry sighed and decided to humor the woman. He stood and unwrapped Saire from his shoulders, who hissed at him a bit tensely, before pulling off his robes and jumper. Hermione looked shocked upon the site of him, and sat down heavily in a nearby chair, staring at his chest and arms. Harry glanced down at himself, realizing that the girl hadn't seen all of his scars before. Putting his old friend from his mind for the moment he inspected the gash in his side.

The cut ran around the length of his left side, from his back all the way around to his sternum. It wasn't deep, but it looked rather nasty, and was still bleeding heavily enough for him to be aware that something needed to be done about it. Blood ran down his side, and had already stained the bed sheets where he sat. Poppy tsk'd at the sight, already poking at him with her wand. Harry rolled his eyes and looked away from her.

"I'll have to stitch it closed the Muggle way." She said, "It's the only way. It's much too large to leave it to heal on its own."

Harry nodded absently, watching as the woman gathered the supplies needed to sew up his side. He sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on the headboard, which gave the woman room to work without stretching his skin out too much. Cin shifted out of the way, but didn't go far, instead seating himself at Hermione's feet, much to the girl's surprise. He watched, amused, as Cin all but purred under Hermione's strokes, though the Griffin never took his eyes from Harry.

"I'm going to cast a localized numbing charm, but it won't completely take away all sensations. You will still feel some."

"Thank you, Madam." Harry said, feeling the strange effects of the charm as she cast it. Poppy strung the needle, much to McGonagoll's apparent discomfort, and began to stitch Harry together the good 'ole Muggle way. Harry felt the first poke of the needle, and while it didn't hurt so much, it still felt strange. He looked away from the woman. He knew that she was a good MediWitch, and wasn't worried that she wouldn't be able to still the blood flow from such a wound.

He took in the others still in the room. Albus and McGonagoll and turned their backs to them and were hovering over Bellatrix, discussing their options for the woman's condition. Hermione still sat shocked in her chair, though she did appear a little less overcome. Harry noticed that while she probably well knew about the Muggle practice of stitches, she wasn't too fond of watching the procedure. She kept glancing over at him, but was unable to keep her eyes on him long before sweeping around the room again. Moody was sneering at him from across the room, as was typical.

Harry was surprised, however, to spot Snape near the doorway, taking in the scene with his usual sneer.

"Good evening, Professor." He greeted the man.

The other occupants of the room all looked up at his words, surprised to see the Potions Master sneering down at them all.

"Quit moving so much, Mr. Elddir." Poppy said, "I cannot stitch this properly with you shifting around."

"You could lighten up a bit," he offered petulantly.

"Perhaps, but that hardly gives you incentive to behave." She retorted. Harry smirked playfully and turned away from her again. She continued to mumble under her breath as she went about her work. Harry ignored the stinging jabs of pain caused by the needle.

"What happened?" Snape asked, or rather demanded, as he stopped at Harry's bedside.

"I had a run in with a vindictive Dark Lord and his monthly lap dog is all." Harry said jovially. Snape sneered at him, clearly disgusted with his cheerful tone. "Nothing at all to worry about." He said.

"Indeed." Snape pointedly dropped his eyes to Harry's still bleeding torso, apparently unconvinced of the boy's reassurance that the night's events weren't anything to worry about.

"It is a minor wound." Harry said, ignoring the 'harumph' that came from both Poppy and Helga, "It is truly nothing to worry about."

Snape still didn't look completely convinced but didn't say anything. He turned his eyes to the full grown Griffin, who was now purring slightly, giving Harry a look that plainly said 'explain'.

"A growth potion." Harry said. The man nodded.

"What did He want?"

Harry hardly needed more from the man to know what he was asking. "He wanted to know what my Task was."

"Did you tell him, Darion?" Helga asked.

"Of course! He asked so politely after all." Harry said.

"I'm sure he did." Helga said a bit wryly. "Poppy, dear, poke him a little harder for me will you."

"Hey!" Harry cried as the MediWitch did just that. "What was that for?"

"Stop being so petulant." Helga said. "It's terribly annoying."

"Fine." Harry grumped. "You get hit by an unhealable cutting curse, for the second time I might add, and see how you react."

"You've been hit by it before?" Poppy asked at the same time Snape snapped, "What cutting curse?"

Harry blinked between the two for a moment. "Yes, I've been hit by the Secare Curse twice now." He said, answering both their questions.

Poppy sighed and bent back to her work, mumbling again. Harry decided not to try to figure out what she was saying. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know. Snape however looked at him rather strangely, his intense gaze studying the youth as if he was trying to figure out some kind of puzzle. Harry decided to ignore that for the time being as well.

"When did you get hit by the Secare before?" Snape asked.

Harry cocked his head to the side slightly in thought, "About five years ago." He said, looking up at Helga's portrait. It had been Helga who had stitched him up the first time he got cut by the curse, the day that he arrived to the Founders' time. He had received the cut during the attack on the Dursley's by a Death Eater he was pretty sure was no longer living.

"Finished." Poppy said, casting another cleaning spell. Harry looked down at his side, inspecting the thin, angry line of stitches that stood out against his skin. Poppy had done a good job, considering she probably had little practice at Muggle stitches. He ran a finger along the wound gently, noticing that it ran parallel to the first one he had received, which sat about a hand width lower on his abdomen.

Suddenly thinking of something, Harry looked up at the Founder's portrait.

"Helga, I need to speak with the Founders."

"All of us?"

Harry nodded solemnly, suddenly serious after his bout of playfulness, "Tom knows."

"Knows what?" Snape snapped.

Harry turned to glance at the man before looking at Hermione then over to Albus. "He _felt_ me." He said, looking back to the Hufflepuff Founder. "Tom knows who I am."


	23. Power and Existence

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

**

* * *

Last Time**

* * *

Harry nodded solemnly, suddenly serious after his bout of playfulness, "Tom knows."

"Knows what?" Snape snapped.

Harry turned to glance at the man before looking at Hermione then over to Albus. "He _felt_ me." He said, looking back to the Hufflepuff Founder. "Tom knows who I am."

**

* * *

The Founders' Heir**

**Part Twenty Three**

**

* * *

Power and Existence**

* * *

Harry sat sprawled in one of Albus' disgustingly pouffy chairs, quite happy that the creation beneath him was soft enough not to make his wound worse. He would never admit that he liked the brightly patterned monstrosity to Albus, however, no matter how much he appreciated them.

Cin's large form lay curled at his feet, purring quietly as one of Harry's bare feet rubbed his stomach. He had shed his boots and promptly made himself comfortable upon entering the room some time ago. There was no point in being uncomfortable during the upcoming discussion, after all.

Harry glanced around the office, taking in the small crowd gathered with some trepidation.

Apparently Albus hadn't felt like they needed to keep the gathering to a minimum.

McGonagoll, Albus and Poppy were discussing something in low tones near the door. From the MediWitch's gestures he figured it had something to do with the still stasis-locked Bellatrix ensconced in the Infirmary. Snape was in his usual position: scowling from a dark-shadowed corner. And Moody was standing rather stiffly before Albus' desk, rolling his magical eye between him and Snape. Hermione had placed herself near him, seated on the floor near Cin's head, and absently stroking the Griffin's feathers, much to the creature's pleasure.

The one surprising presence was a recently arrived Remus Lupin, who stood near the fireplace, which he had floo'd into, and was looking around the room in ill-feigned confusion and curiosity. Harry would have to thank Albus later for notifying the werewolf. Remus deserved to know.

"Come, boy." Moody growled, grabbing his attention, "Explain yourself."

Harry eyed the man coolly for a moment before waving his hand, muttering a few charms under his breath. He smirked slightly, highly satisfied at the sound of Moody's jaw clicking shut forcefully and the man's frustrated grunt as he was forced into a chair and bound to it.

The sudden movement drew the room's attention, and they all watched the scene in a mixture of disapproval – McGonagoll, and amusement – Albus.

"I do not appreciate your continued suspicions, Alastor Moody." Harry said, holding the man's mixed eyes. "And do _not_ call me 'boy'. Now, if you'll be patient, and sit there quietly for a while, I may consider releasing your mouth in order for you to ask a few questions. Until then, you'll just have to sit there like a good little retired Auror and suffer through the next bit of time until I feel like you've learned something."

Harry ignored the murderous look in the man's one good eye, chuckling slightly at the thought of how the man may react to learning who 'Darion Elddir' truly was. Actually, he was deeply curious how all of them would react. Most believed that Harry Potter was dead, or at least gone and not coming back. It would be interesting to see their reactions once they found out – and believed him.

"Hexing people already, Darion?" a feminine voice asked. Harry glanced around, finding the woman had recently arrived in one of the portraits above him. He smiled in greeting to the stoic woman.

"Charms, actually." He said innocently.

"Whatever did he do to warrant a silencing and binding charm?" she asked, eyeing the grizzled Auror curiously.

"I've grown weary of his suspicions and accusations in the short time I've been here, Rowena." Harry said, "So I simply shut him up for a while."

"Who did you shut up? How?" a new voice asked eagerly. Harry smiled at the deep gruff sound. There was no mistaking who it belonged to.

"Have you met Alastor Moody, Godric?" he asked the auburn haired man.

"Moody!" the man said, sideling into the frame next to Rowena, "Heard of him. Said to be a right paranoid old bastard." Godric sent a charming smile to the Ravenclaw Founder, who only sniffed at him disdainfully.

"That's a relatively accurate assessment, I suppose." Harry said, highly amused at Godric's shameless flirting with Rowena, who looked to be about to hex the burly Founder.

"Where's the snake?" Godric asked suddenly, edging away from Rowena a bit.

"Helga went to get him." Rowena said. "They should be here soon."

"Well, while we wait, take a seat, everyone." Albus said conjuring a collection of chairs. Harry stifled a laugh at the looks everyone gave at Albus' idea of a chair. Remus eyed the flowery conjuration near him as he sat. Snape sneered and the over stuffed monstrosities and didn't move, much to Harry's amusement.

"Tea?" Albus asked, conjuring a brightly decorated china set. Harry shook his head in bemusement. Albus would always offer tea to his guests. No doubt the man would offer Voldemort tea if the Dark Lord ever made it into the office.

Harry amused himself with the scenario for a while. The sight of Voldemort sitting in one of Albus' poufy chairs, sipping tea from a delicate flower cup was just too hilarious to ignore.

"What is so important that you insisted on dragging me up here?" Salazar's sibilant voice said as the dark man appeared in a frame. Helga followed soon after, settling into a frame between the two male Founders, as was her wont. She was usually the one to break up the fights between them. Rowena was more likely to simply hex the two men than placate them. Harry was always entertained by the four when they got together.

"Darion here has a problem and asked to talk to us." Helga said, giving Harry a wink.

Salazar sneered down at him. "Can't take care of yourself, Heir?"

"Oh, I can take care of myself just fine, thanks." Harry quipped, "We just need to fine tune our plans a little bit, as a dear friend of ours has figured out my little secret."

"Didn't take him long, did it?" Albus said.

Harry shook his head. "We really weren't sure if I would be able to fully block the connection, or if he would be able to feel my presence once I returned."

"You let your shields slip." Salazar stated.

"Not at all." Harry said somewhat stiffly, "My shields are just fine."

"Are they?" Salazar asked.

"I would ask you to test them, but you can't cast spells from a frame." Harry said coolly.

"I can't," he admitted, "But _he_ can."

Harry looked to where the man was pointing, and held in a groan. "Are you insisting that you get a test on my shields?" he asked the Founder, hoping for a negative answer, but knowing that he wouldn't get one.

"Yes."

Harry sighed and turned his gaze to his 'Master'.

"Go ahead, Master Snape." He said, inclining his head slightly in respect. He knew of Snape's legilimancy skills first hand. The only other person he had met who had such strength in the Mind Arts was Salazar himself.

Snape eyed him for a moment before pushing himself away from the wall and pulling his wand. Harry took a breath and nodded.

"Ligilimens." Snape said softly, his eyes intent on his Apprentice.

Harry held the man's eyes, already feeling the subtle slide of his presence in his mind. Snape began with light proding, searching for chinks and cracks that he could slip through. After some time, he began to pour more force into his probes. Harry didn't look away, and didn't push the man out of his mind, letting him test his boundaries thoroughly. As they continued, Snape used more and more force, bashing his magic against Harry's shields with an amazing strength. Harry winced slightly, feeling a slight twinge of pain grow with every thrust the man made.

Deciding that Snape had spent enough time battering at his mind, he gathered a selection of short and nonsensical memories and thrust them at the man with some force. Snape physically reeled back from the onslaught, no doubt overwhelmed by the sheer number of images that Harry threw at him. He doubted that the man would be able to actually determine much detail from them, and indeed probably would only throw them out of his own mind simply to be rid of the mess.

Harry took in a deep breath, steadying his nerves and his magic after the last of Snape's presence left his mind. The test wasn't all that different from what Salazar often threw at him. As typical, he had a pounding headache from the whole deal.

He pulled two vials from his belt, downing one quickly and offering the second to Snape, who was bracing himself with one hand against the wall next to him. Snape took the vial with a raised eyebrow.

"A simple pain reliever." Harry said.

"It appears that his mind is adequately guarded." Rowena commented.

"Indeed." Salazar and Snape said at the same time. Harry eyed the two warily.

"You two are eerily similar, did you know that?" he said somewhat dazedly. The two glared at him and he stared between the two, shaking his head. "Eerie." He mumbled.

"I figure that due to the connection, there is a space in your shields." Rowena said, ignoring the comment about the two Slytherins. "No doubt you can't fully block that part of your mind, especially from Voldemort."

"Makes sense." Harry said, leaning his head back against the chair as he waited for the potion to kick in.

"Uh, pardon me for interrupting, but what's going on?" Remus asked.

Harry looked over at the werewolf, noting the curiosity in the man's eyes. He shrugged slightly. "I suppose since you let them all in, Albus, that you expect them to share this information?"

"Of course, Darion." Albus said, his eyes twinkling. Harry scowled at him momentarily.

"Fine." He settled more comfortably into his chair, relieved that his head was no longer bounding in sync with his heart, and propped both of his feet up on Cin's back. "Where do you propose that I begin?"

"The beginning is usually a good idea." Snape snapped from his corner. Harry glanced at him, and then let his eyes travel around the room. He had the attention of everyone present. Noticing Moody, he subtly canceled the spells holding him, deciding to let the man figure out he was free on his own. Looking to the four Founders, he discerned that they wouldn't be much help in telling his story, as if that was a surprise.

"Then, I suppose the beginning is about fifty years ago." He said, letting his eyes travel up to the vaulted ceiling. "As most of you are no doubt aware, Voldemort was born with the name of Tom Riddle." He glanced around the room, receiving vague nods.

"What does this have to do with you?" Snape asked.

"I'm getting there." Harry said.

"More then you think." Salazar said. Snape glanced to the Founder, and fell silent. Harry nodded his thanks to Slytherin. Snape would remain silent and listen to his story.

"Tom Riddle was a Founders' Heir." Harry said, deciding to just drop that piece of information on them. "As Albus is."

"And you, right?" Remus asked.

"For the most part, yes." Harry said.

"What do you mean?"

Harry held up a placating hand. "Let me finish, you'll understand." Remus nodded somewhat reluctantly and Harry continued his story.

"Tom Riddle was a Founders' Heir, and therefore spent his time with the Founders the same as Albus and I did. He received his Task and returned to his time, barely a few weeks after he disappeared. Sometime later, and I'm not entirely sure how much later, he killed his muggle father in cold blood and dropped his role as Tom Riddle. At this time he fully took up his persona of Voldemort and lost his position as a Founders' Heir."

"You must understand that it is rare for an Heir to lose their status." Helga said.

"Even more so that we must accommodate their loss within the other Heirs." Rowena added. "To fully understand this, you need to know what Tom's Task was."

"We gave him the Task to lead the Wizarding World into the new millennium." Godric said, "He wasn't to rule, but only to lead. He failed in this. Instead of leading, he tried to conquer."

"Thus, his role as an Heir was revoked." Rowena said. "That's where Darion comes in. He was chosen to help balance the loss of Tom and his Task."

"By getting rid of Voldemort." Godric said.

"I'm not here to lead," Harry said, "I cannot take up Tom's Task. That Task was for him and him alone. I can't do it. I can, however, help the other Heirs to accommodate such a loss."

"How so?" McGonagoll asked.

"For instance," Harry said, motioning towards Albus, "Albus isn't the Minister, nor is he in a direct leadership position in the Wizarding world, but he is highly regarded and revered. His original Task held no such thing. He was to guide the teachings of the youth. In short, his Task was to be a good Headmaster. But due to the loss of Tom as a leader of the Wizarding World, Albus had to help lead where he wouldn't have done so had Voldemort not existed."

"Darion's Task is to first eradicate the presence of Voldemort and his forces, and second to help the Wizarding world recover from a Dark Lord's rule." Rowena said. "His name and history will allow him the power he will need to help guide the magical community out of the darkness until the Heirs are back on track."

"He won't be a ruler nor much of a leader." Salazar said, sneering at him slightly.

"But he will be able to help balance the effects of Voldemort." Helga said, giving Slytherin a look. Harry shook his head at their antics.

"What sort of power?" Snape asked.

"My name, mostly." Harry said, He held up a hand to halt the man's next question. "You'll understand shortly." Snape relented, and settled back into his shadowy corner.

"You said that you are different from Albus?" Remus said. "What did you mean?"

"I'm not meant to be an Heir." Harry said. "Or rather, the only reason I'm an Heir, is because Tom Riddle no longer is one."

"I don't understand." The werewolf said.

"If Voldemort didn't exist, if Tom Riddle never became a Dark Lord, then he would still have his status as an Heir, then I would not need to be an Heir in order to get rid of him." Harry said, "I exist as an Heir because Voldemort exists."

Harry sighed heavily. "_I_ exist because Voldemort does."

"Do you mean," Hermione said hesitantly, "That you wouldn't be here if Tom Riddle didn't become Voldemort? That you wouldn't have been born?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Harry said.

"But, that's…that doesn't make any sense!" she said, looking a little angry. "You may not have been the Boy-Who-Lived, but you would still exist!"

The office was silent after her outburst. Harry waited for the commotion that would follow it, knowing that it was inevitable, really. All the occupants, save those who already knew, wore looks of stunned disbelief with a strange mix of hope.

"What?" Remus was the first to break the stunned silence. Harry looked over to the werewolf, somewhat amused, and at the same time sad, at the look in the man's eyes. He nodded and gave the man a small, reassuring smile.

He turned back to Snape, who wore a guarded look. "You asked about the type of power I would have, and I said that it was my name. This is true. My name – Harry Potter – and my status as the Boy-Who-Lived give me a power that no one else has."

"It was this power that caused us to choose him as an Heir." Helga said softly. "Because he exists because of Voldemort, than we chose him to balance the loss of Tom Riddle."

"What did you mean?" Remus asked unsteadily, "What did you mean when you said that you wouldn't have existed?"

"If Tom hadn't become a Dark Lord, we wouldn't have needed Harry Potter as an Heir." Rowena said. "Thus, Harry wouldn't have been brought to us, and wouldn't have become Darion Elddir."

"But you still would have been Harry!" Hermione insisted. "You would still exist!"

Harry sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Without Voldemort I would not have existed. Oh, yes, James and Lily would have married, and they would likely have had a son named Harry. But I, the person before you, would not be here. My life has been molded by the consequences of Voldemort's existence. Without Voldemort there would have been no Boy-Who-Lived."


	24. He's Harry

**Author's Note:** I've got a few responses to some reviews here for you:

_The Dark Empress of Eternity,_ I think the only chapter you _didn't_ review was number nine…

_Coldfiredragon,_ thanks for the review! And Snape probably could have figured out that Darion was Harry a lot sooner if he wasn't so blinded by his old grudge of Potter. It's truly a downfall for him…ah well, that's Snape for you.

_Daughter of life and death_, we're not really sure why the snakes call Harry "Shay". It seems to be a nickname they all give him. Harry suspects Salazar knows, but the Founder won't say, nor will any of the serpents explain it. If it helps, he will figure it out later.

_Blacksheep7_, I understand that it's easy to lose track of how much time has passed here so far; less than two weeks and they've taken up over 20 chapters…anyhow, thanks for the reviews! And I agree that too much description can go overboard very quickly. : )

_Illeanah_, yes yes, the plot thickens…hehe…and I'm not done yet!

_Manatheron_, joys of near paradox, huh? You'll like Harry's conversation with Hermione when she corners him alone later… : ) Little bit of a hint there for you.

_Flensa_; they're all a little shocked yet to react much. You'll get it here though.

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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**Last Time**

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Harry sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Without Voldemort I would not have existed. Oh, yes, James and Lily would have married, and they would likely have had a son named Harry. But I, the person before you, would not be here. My life has been molded by the consequences of Voldemort's existence. Without Voldemort there would have been no Boy-Who-Lived."

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

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**He's Harry**

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Harry took in the faces of those present. Hermione and Albus were the only two who previously new of his identity, even if for less then an hour. Hermione was shocked, but he doubted it was from the revealing of his birth name. She was likely more upset about his existence, knowing her. Remus seemed as stunned as Hermione, and appeared to be on the verge of flinging himself at him, but managed to restrain himself and remained in his seat, for which Harry was slightly grateful. He doubted his body would be happy with a werewolf's strong embrace, not with the cut he had on his side.

It was the reactions of the other occupants of the office that interested and amused him.

McGonagoll, in all her stoic glory collapsed heavily into a chair, looking quite faint, and stared at him in shock. He was oddly pleased at ruffling the older woman's feathers. Not many could lay claim to doing so. Poppy, strangely, didn't seem all that shocked, though looked mildly surprised, and turned her concerned gaze to the Transfiguration professor, who was clutching at her chest.

Moody was by far the most vocal.

"What!" the grizzled old Auror sprung from his chair, looming over Harry, who hadn't moved and looked up at the man with barely hidden amusement.

"Surprised, Moody?" Harry asked impishly. "I admit that your reaction was the one I looked forward to the most. After all, you certainly suspected me enough."

Moody stood over him, spluttering, unable to form words for any sort of comeback.

"Darion, be nice." Helga scolded from her frame. "He didn't know, and you do rather seem like an unsavory character."

"Oy!" Harry said, "Unsavory my arse! Sal over there is unsavory, I'm just mysterious." He said with a smirk.

"Yes, and he's managed to rub off on you." Godric said, "Much to my dismay."

"Not my fault I've got Slytherin tendencies." Harry said petulantly. "You're the one who sent me to him as my primary tutor."

"A decision that none of us much liked, I do believe." Salazar sneered. Harry sneered back at him with practiced ease.

"Enough, enough." Albus said jovially. "Alastor, if you'll take a seat, we can continue."

"How do we know that he is Harry Potter?" Moody asked.

Harry chuckled. "Ever vigilant, eh Mad Eye?"

"For good reason, boy."

The man got no warning save a slight narrowing of Harry's eyes before he was blasted back into his chair again, thick ropes tying themselves around him and a second silencing charm muffling his outraged yell.

"I've told you repeatedly not to call me 'boy', Moody." Harry said coldly, "I will not tolerate hearing it from you again."

The office was silent for a moment at the display, no doubt a little shocked at his reaction to the term Moody had again called him. Harry, however, would not yield on the matter. He had bad memories of the term, and refused to deal with it. Salazar had learned that the hard way, in his first years with the Founders, much as Moody was learning it in turn.

"He had a good point," Snape's voice came from the corner, "much as I loathe admitting it. How do we know you are who you say?"

"You mean besides that the Founders claim it? And that Albus trusts it? And Voldemort felt it?" Harry turned his intense gaze from the old Auror to fix them on his 'Master'. Snape had been broodingly quiet as his identity was revealed, and the man still held a highly guarded look. Harry was very curious as to what the Potions Master was thinking.

He turned back to Moody, looking the man up and down as if measuring him. "If you can behave," he said with amusement, "I will release you."

Moody stared at him, his magical eye whirling in agitation, but nodded curtly. Harry smirked slightly, and released the charms holding the Auror to his chair. Moody shifted slightly, and Harry looked at him expectantly, with a hint of eagerness. He was almost hoping that Moody would test him again. He enjoyed throwing spells at the man; it was too easy to rile him up.

But Moody remained silent, much to Harry's disappointment.

"Ask me what only Harry Potter would know, and I will answer." Harry said finally, gesturing with his hands in an inviting motion.

"Where is the Order headquarters." Moody said.

"Come, you can think up something more challenging than that." Harry said with a chuckle, "Besides, the most ancient and noble House of Black is hardly difficult to guess as your hiding place."

Moody sneered. "Where was I two years ago?"

"Two years?" Harry said, thinking, "Ah yes, my fourth year. I do believe you spent most of it unconscious locked within the seventh compartment of your own trunk. Had to have grated on your nerves." He said with a devious grin.

Moody bristled at the barb, but said nothing.

"Really, Darion," Helga scolded him again, "Play nice."

"You're no fun, Helga." Harry pouted.

"I have one." Hermione offered a bit quietly. "What did we do in our second year?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "A lot." He said. "I assume you are referring to the little bit of rule breaking that you aided with?"

"No doubt the list is long." Salazar said, "You'll have to be more precise, girl, that boy doesn't know what rules are."

Harry shot a nasty glare at the Founder, before turning to Hermione. "I do believe you are asking about the Polyjuice potion that we brewed within Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." He said, and then leaning in close to her he whispered, "But do you really want me to tell everyone here what we did with it?"

She hesitated a moment, glancing around at the other occupants a bit nervously. "Yes." She said, turning back to him. "This is more important than a few rules broken years ago."

"Very well." He said with a smirk, glancing over at Snape, and then gave a triumphant look to Salazar. "We impersonated a few Slytherins and made our way into the Snake's den to get some information. We were undetected, and got what we were looking for." His smirk grew into a grin at the look that was mirrored on both of the Slytherin's faces. "Oh, and Sal, you really should consider redecorating, the common room is far too dismal and gloomy."

"Here, Here!" Godric said enthusiastically, although no one paid him much mind.

"There was more." Hermione said.

Harry nodded, "Aye, there was. While three of us took the potion, only two entered the Slytherin common room. You, dear Hermione, added the hairs of a cat, much by mistake, and had whiskers and a tail to show for it."

Hermione studied him a moment and Harry held her gaze evenly, letting her search for whatever it is she was looking for. She apparently found it, and smiled before nodding to the others in the room. "I believe him. He's Harry."

Remus stood, and approached him somewhat hesitantly. "You don't smell like Harry." He said softly, staring. Harry could see the conflicting emotions in the man's eyes. Harry cocked his head to the side in thought.

"I was not aware that my scent had changed." He said, "I am unsure how it would." He glanced at the Founders with a curious look.

"It could be one or all of three things." Rowena took up the challenge. "The transportation to us and back could have altered it slightly, but it would only be a temporary change. It hasn't been long since you returned; it is possible that your scent is still affected by the travel. The accident with the wands and the cores in your body altered your magical signature slightly. Because your magic is so closely tied with your physical person, it is very probable that your scent could have been altered as well. You also passed your majority, and again your magic changed."

Harry nodded, returning his gaze to Remus, waiting for the man's verdict. The werewolf studied him closely, searching his gaze much the same as Hermione did. Harry could tell also that the man was using what sense he could to probe him, and identify him. No doubt he was searching for any lingering familiarity with the boy that he remembered, compared to the young man that Harry had become.

"The Marauders?" he asked softly.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs." Harry said simply.

"Their names?"

"Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter."

Remus eyed him for a moment, his face unreadable. Harry waited him out. Remus was a smart man, he may have asked simple questions, but Harry knew that he was not finished. Hermione was one of his closest friends, but Remus knew things about him that Hermione didn't fully understand or know about.

"Their secret keeper?" Remus asked. He didn't need to elaborate. Harry knew the question as well as the answer.

"Wormtail." He sneered.

"What incident brought you to me and Sirius last year?" he asked.

Harry sighed, glancing towards Snape before returning his eyes to Remus. "A question about my father's character." He said. He didn't want to reveal what he had seen in Snape's pensieve, but had to answer the question. Luckily, he was able to without angering Snape.

Remus's eyes opened up to him, and Harry knew that the werewolf accepted him as Harry Potter. He smiled at the man, relieved that this last link with his parents was still with him.

"Harry." Remus said softly, and then suddenly frowned. "You're wounded. I can smell the blood."

Harry waved away his concern. "It is not serious."

"Nonsense." Poppy said, her attention gained, and bustling over to him. "You've probably upset it. Moving about so. You should be in bed!"

Harry groaned as the woman forced him into a more upright position and began tugging on his shirt.

"I'm fine!" he insisted.

"Lift up and let me have a look." The MediWitch insisted.

"What did you do to yourself this time, Heir?" Salazar asked.

"What did you do to the person who did it?" Godric asked with excitement.

Harry rolled his eyes at the two, and allowed the woman to pull his shirt up enough to inspect the wound.

"I knew it. You've opened it up again. Upset the stitching and managed to tear…"

Harry tuned the woman's muttering out, not interested in hearing her complaints as she poked at him with her wand and fingers. He winced at a particularly nasty jab.

"Really woman!" he said, "I'm not some hunk of meat for you to tenderize. Be gentle!"

"You don't deserve for me to be gentle if you won't follow my instructions!" she retorted.

Harry glared half heartedly at the woman, turning from her again, and trying to ignore her ministrations at his side.

"So what did you do to him?" Godric insisted.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the burly Founder in amusement and simply pointed to the still full grown Griffin cub under his feet.

"Really! Sicked the monster on him did you?" Godric said eagerly, "Lovely. How much damage did he do?"

"Godric!" Helga said, "Must you be so … gruesome?!"

"I want all the details." Godric continued on as if not hearing the woman. "Come, lad, tell me."

"It was only Riddle. Cin managed to dig his claws into him, but couldn't hold him. No matter, he was wounded. I'll get him later." Harry said nonchalantly, giving Poppy a small glare as the woman let his shirt fall at the end of her inspection.

"What did you get hit with?" Remus asked, retaking his own seat.

"The Secare Curse," Harry said, "a glancing blow, really. Bellatrix got the worst end of that particular exchange. Speaking of which," Harry turned to Albus, "What do you plan to do with her?"

"Poppy will attempt to stabilize her condition enough for healing, after which she will be turned into the Ministry and questioned, much the same as Peter Pettigrew was."

"If she survives." Harry muttered.

"Two Death Eaters in as many weeks, Elddir." Moody growled. "I'm not sure whether to be suspicious, or proud."

Harry shrugged. The man would choose on his own, despite any words he would say. At least Moody wasn't glaring at him in mistrust. It was a relief.

"Back to the topic at hand," Rowena said, "Do you all accept that Darion is also Harry Potter?"

"Yes," McGonagoll said, "Though I am curious about the time difference. You look so much older."

Harry nodded. "That is because I am. I am twenty one years old."

"But how? You disappeared barely over a month ago, how could have aged so much?"

"Because time didn't matter when I was with the Founders." Harry said. "I went back to them at the end of July, yes, and I remained with them for five years. I returned to my own time, aged, but where I am supposed to be."

"All of our Heirs return to their time only weeks or perhaps a month after they left it." Rowena said, "But they can spend many years with us during the interim. We calculate the time variations to return them to the correct time, but their ages cannot be reversed."

"Was that why the Floor powder was blue?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." Harry said, "It is a different sort of powder. It doesn't travel over distance, but rather time, in a fashion. Oh, by the way, Rowena, your calculations were a little off, I missed most of the feast and the sorting entirely."

The woman raised an eyebrow at him. "Well next time I'll let you calculate the particulars, then Darion."

"Ah, no, no, that's quite alright." Harry said holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm terrible with arithmancy."

"Yes, I know." She said dryly.

Harry shrugged indifferently.

"Why didn't you return as Harry?" Hermione asked. "Why did you change your name in the first place?"

"I didn't." Harry said. "The Founders changed my name."

"But, why?" she asked.

"To hide me from Tom."

"Tom Riddle was still with us when Harry arrived." Rowena said, "We thought it best that we hide his true identity so that Voldemort would not expect him."

"You might not have bothered; the Dark Lord knows it's him." Moody said.

"But Riddle didn't know that Darion was Harry until he returned." Albus said. "While we were with the Founders, Harry was known only as Darion Elddir. Thus, Voldemort did not know that Harry Potter would be trained by the Founders."

"It was an advantage that we hoped we could have used for longer." Helga said, "But we were unsure if Voldemort would be able to feel Harry's presence."

Harry shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal, really. It would have been nice if we could have kept it from Voldemort for longer, but it doesn't matter."

"The question now, Darion, is whether or not you wish the rest of the world to know." Godric said.

"I'd much rather not, really." Harry said. "Voldemort may very well announce it, but I'm unsure how many would believe him. Not to mention I really don't want to deal with all the hype that the 'Boy-Who-Lived' would bring."

"Indeed, Darion Elddir isn't much like the world's view of Harry Potter." Albus said, chuckling.

"Keep it secret for how long you can." Rowena advised.

Harry nodded, glancing around the room at those gathered. Most nodded, telling him that they would keep his secret, except for Snape who only looked back at him with a guarded mask. Harry would have to talk with the man privately, he knew. Snape would not be satisfied with the measly answers he had given to the others. The man would have many questions, no doubt. Harry was interested whether he would actually get over himself enough to ask them or not.

"If that is all, then I am returning to my portrait." Salazar said imperiously.

"Go on, Sal." Harry said irritably. "You weren't all that helpful to begin with."

Salazar glared at him, which Harry happily returned. He still wasn't happy with the Founder for the riddle that the man had given him.

"ss,I do not aid those who aren't worthy of my assistance,ss" Salazar hissed to him.

Harry snarled and returned in kind. "ss,Bugger off, Salazar! I'm hardly in the mood for your imperialistic airs and self nobility,ss"

The Founder hissed threateningly once more at him before disappearing from the frame and the room altogether. Harry growled irritably, still muttering under his breath in parseltongue.

"Darion," Rowena said, gaining his attention, "Do us all a favor and don't pick up any more of Sal's habits. It's annoying enough having one irritable man muttering in languages we don't understand. We don't need two of them."

Harry blushed slightly, realizing that he was indeed picking up the Founder's habits. Again. He glanced around at the occupants of the room, who were looking back at him in a strange mixture of apprehension and recognition. If they hadn't believed he was Harry Potter before, they certainly did after that little display. And it was all Salazar's fault.

"Bloody irritating snake." He grumbled.

"I agree with you whole heartedly, Darion." Godric's voice boomed over the room. "Why you tolerate the man is beyond me. Why if I were you I'd throw a few hexes at him. I know a few good fire based charms that might do the trick. Like the good 'ole…"

"Godric." Rowena said, cutting the man off mid-rant. "Shut up."

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Author's Note:** _Evergreen Sceptre_ was curious about how Harry currently looks. I know I don't go into great lengths about it, instead I drop hints about his appearance throughout. I figured I would give you the basics here, for those of you who are interested, it is rather long, so ignore it if you don't much care ^_^

Harry/Darion has long (about to his shoulder blades) black, wavy-ish hair. He usually has it tied back into a low ponytail. His skin isn't overly noticeable; he's not very tan, nor is he ghostly pale; kind of a comfortable medium. His eyes are still the vivid green that Harry Potter and Lily Evans were known for. This is probably his most noticeable feature. He no longer wears glasses (this detail will be explained in more detail later).

His entire right side of his face and neck, and the front of his shoulders, chest and abdomen are covered in an array of lined scars. These scars are from when the wands exploded, and camouflage his "boy-who-lived" scar rather well. Both of his forearms are marked with a thick, ugly scar line that runs from the palm of his hands to taper off slightly at his elbow. This is generally thought to be where the wands' cores are located. He has a few other scars as well; so far only two of which have been mentioned: the two (one is new) from the cutting curses on his left side.

His dress varies, but typically he wears some sort of slacks, soft leather boots of varying heights, a shirt often covered by a jumper with some wizarding robes overthrown, which are usually brown (the Potter family color) but not always. He also always carries his belt which is lined with an array of potions, his knives, of which he has an unnamed number but is usually two to seven in varying hiding places upon his person (they are typically poisoned, too).

Sometimes he carries throwing knives, a sword, and/or staves though they haven't been mentioned within the story yet. He has no piercings (that have been mentioned), nor is his hair colored; the blue in his hair when we first see Darion was from the odd Floo method that he used to arrive to Hogwarts, which was a blue in color rather than green, and he managed to get all over himself in typical Harry Potter fashion.

That was long, I know, which was exactly why I didn't throw it into the story in this format. All of this information is mentioned in the story at some point, in varying forms, if you ever bother to check. : )


	25. Why Me

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Bloody irritating snake." He grumbled.

"I agree with you whole heartedly, Darion." Godric's voice boomed over the room. "Why you tolerate the man is beyond me. Why if I were you I'd throw a few hexes at him. I know a few good fire based charms that might do the trick. Like the good 'ole…"

"Godric." Rowena said, cutting the man off mid-rant. "Shut up."

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Why Me?**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Elddir." A voice said, snapping Harry awake sharply. Harry jumped and had the person firmly bound and blasted clean across the room before he even fully awoke.

He sat on his bed, blinking a bit stupidly at the figure on the other side of his room.

"Malfoy?" he said, taking the spells off the boy, "What are you doing here?"

Malfoy gingerly got to his feet, sneering at him as he straightened his robes.

"Professor Snape sent me to get you." The boy said stiffly. "He keeps mumbling about insane witches who won't stop pestering him. I do believe he is talking about Madam Pomfrey."

"Uh, right." Harry said, still trying to blink sleep from his eyes. "She wanted me to stop by in the morning."

"Well it's almost noon." Malfoy said, eyeing him carefully.

"Tell him I'll go placate Pomfrey after I manage to roll out of bed."

Draco was silent for a few minutes, in which Harry yawned loudly, and tried to get his brain to catch up with his body's wakefulness. Apparently his mind wasn't quite ready to greet the day.

"Merlin, Elddir, what happened to you?"

"I had a run in with Voldemort last night, and Albus decided to have a pow-wow that lasted half the night."

Draco eyed him with a mixture of shock and fear. "I'm not sure that I want to know where you managed to run into the Dark Lord."

"Out around the lake where it meets the border of the Forest near the edge of the wards." Harry said nonchalantly.

"Right, I didn't want to know." Malfoy mumbled. He watched him for a moment before turning to leave.

"Oh, and Elddir," he said from the doorway, "you look like shite."

Harry rolled his eyes at the parting comment. Looking around he spotted his Familiar curled near the door along the wall. The growth potion hadn't yet worn off, and the large shape of the Griffin was hard to miss.

"You let him in?" Harry asked.

Cin simply looked at him, not even bothering to send an image.

"That figures." Harry mumbled, "Some guard you are."

He eyed the Griffin cub warily. "You like the ferret, don't you." He accused.

Cin gave an unidentifiable sound and settled his head on his paws.

"Traitor." Harry mumbled, plopping back down to the bed. He grimaced and let out a pained yell when the motion unexpectedly jarred the sensitive cut on his side.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry finally managed to crawl out of his bed just before lunch and made his way to the Great Hall with the large form of his Familiar padding along beside him. He yawned widely as he walked into the Great Hall, ignoring the stares and whispers that erupted due to his presence. Apparently the Hogwarts rumor-mill was well under way. He was only vaguely curious, however, about how exactly the whole school found out about Voldemort's little visit to the grounds.

He risked a glance up to the head table, spotting the barely masked expressions of the Professors who knew of his identity. Snape's was, of course, utterly neutral behind his perpetual scowl. The man had deftly avoided him with a skill that Harry was impressed with, not that Harry had searched the man out with too much enthusiasm. Their eventual encounter would come, and Harry only hoped that he made it out in one piece, with his pride intact, or at least reparable.

Putting Snape out of his mind for the time being he absently took a place at the end of the Slytherin table that was generally free of students. There was no reason to crowd them, considering Cin's current size and unchanged eating habits.

Eating habits which Saire found utterly disagreeable and made sure that they all knew it.

"ss,Disgusting excuse of a mammal!,ss" she hissed, raising her head to a level that was higher than the Griffin's own. Cin paused in his…eating…and sent a predatory look towards the snake.

Harry eyed the two warily, thinking that Cin was technically only half mammal, but he wasn't brave enough to inform the Cobra of that little fact. He really didn't feel like getting bit by her, especially as she was nearing her change and her poison would be far more potent than it was before. He shifted to the side away from them a bit, hoping that neither would notice and tried to continue with his meal.

"Why is he so much bigger all of a sudden?"

Harry risked a glance away from his two hostile familiars to take in the amused and wary face of Draco.

"I gave him a growth potion last night." Harry said, "He's been trained to fight as both a cub and an adult."

"He's certainly more intimidating as an adult." The blonde said.

Harry hummed his agreement, keeping one eye on the two animals near him. He was beginning to feel like he should put more distance between himself and them.

"They don't seem to get along too well." Draco said.

"No, they don't." he agreed. "Actually, that would be a gross understatement." He said wryly, as Cin's beak snapped shut dangerously close to Saire's tail.

"Are they always like that?" another Slytherin asked. Harry studied him a moment, trying to put a name to the boy. "Oh, I'm Blaise Zabini."

"Darion Elddir." Harry said, nodding. "And yes, they're generally always like that."

"Seems dangerous." Blaise commented.

Harry winced as he saw Saire flaire her hood and hissed a string of threats at the Griffin. Harry felt his eyes widen at her words, somewhat astonished at the breadth of her more vulgar vocabulary. He had no idea that she could swear so fluently. Not for the first time he wondered where she learned such things.

"At least its entertaining." Draco said from his side.

Harry glared at him. "Only when you have something between yourself and them," he said, "like me."

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. Harry eyed him for a moment.

"Where did you get her, anyways?" he asked the blonde.

"Her?"

Harry nodded. "She is female, yes."

"Then she was a gift."

"From whom? Diamond Head Cobras are extremely rare and valuable, who on earth would be willing to gift her to someone?"

Draco met his eyes evenly, obviously reluctant to reveal his source. Harry didn't back down. He wanted to know, though he had his suspicions. The rarity of Diamond Heads paired with their somewhat volatile natures would greatly limit the number of people able to handle such a serpent. Couple that with the boy's reluctance to reveal who gifted him the snake, and Harry had narrowed his selection down to two: Voldemort, or Lucius. If Draco's father had given him the snake, then it was safe to think that Voldemort had first given it to Lucius, or at least was aware of the serpent. Tom Riddle wouldn't let a Diamond Head Cobra get away from him without a valid reason. He was well aware of the snake's priceless uses. Harry rather figured that good 'ole Tom had acquired a pair of them. He couldn't imagine Tom giving away such a valuable snake without getting something in return. In which case, what did Voldemort expect from Draco in payment for the serpent?

"I'll tell you what, Draco," Harry said, "I'll make it easy on you. You just say yes or no when I give a name. Sound good to you?"

Draco didn't respond for a moment, but then nodded.

"Great." Harry said jovially. He met the blonde's eyes, suddenly serious. He had two main suspects, though he figured he'd only need one guess.

"Voldemort." He said softly, so that only the two of them heard his word.

Draco's eyes widened, then narrowed, emotions playing through his features so rapidly that Harry wasn't able to discern them. However, he had his answer.

"What does he want in return?" he asked just as softly, not waiting for the blonde to answer the first question.

Draco's jaw clenched tightly and his eyes hardened. Harry at first thought that the boy was angry with him, then realized that Draco's emotions were directed mainly towards the ones that had placed him in such a precarious situation.

"He already has what he wanted." Draco said between his clenched teeth and shifting his left arm a bit.

Harry sat back, regarding the boy neutrally. Draco appeared guarded, but also relieved. Apparently Saire was gifted to him by Voldemort, either before or after marking him. It was a disgusting parody of an exchange. Draco neither wanted the gift, or to give something in exchange. Harry wondered if he had told anyone about what had happened.

"Does anyone know?"

Draco shook his head in the negative. Harry was surprised at first, but then realized that it made sense. The boy probably didn't trust anyone. Snape's position as a spy against Voldemort may have been compromised, but it wasn't widely known. Likely, Draco still suspected the man's loyalties. And Dumbledore? A Slytherin rarely trusted such a grand-fatherly figure that Albus portrayed. No wonder Draco hadn't told anyone.

"You could, you know." Harry said.

"Like who, Elddir?" Draco snarled. "Who could I trust?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at the boy's fierceness. "There are a number of people who would listen and believe you."

"Like Dumbledore?"

Harry titled his head to the side in acquiescence. "He is one, though I doubt you would feel comfortable speaking with him."

"Understatement." Draco said, though with less veracity.

"Your Head of House would be a good idea." Harry said.

Draco curled his lip at the suggestion. Harry smirked slightly at the expected reaction. "Is he not related to you?"

"Distantly, on my mother's side."

"Through the Black family?" Harry asked, somewhat surprised. Interesting. If Draco was related to Snape through Narcissa, then Snape was similarly related to Sirius. Harry snorted inwardly at the idea. The Wizarding nobility were so inter-married that it was a wonder that separate Houses still existed. He briefly wondered if the Potter line was similarly inter-woven. He dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. He had no desire to know if he was somehow related to Snape or Malfoy, however distantly.

"Anyways," Harry said, coming back to the conversation, "He would listen to you."

Draco looked skeptical, though he didn't voice his thoughts on the matter.

"I would vouch for you as his Apprentice but I'm not sure if that would gain you any advantage or not." Harry mused, "He isn't terribly fond of me. However, I will mention it to him if you do not object."

Draco didn't respond, but he no longer looked like he was about to bolt at the first signs of trouble. Harry patted himself mentally on the back for a good deed done. He may not be fond of the Malfoy heir, but the boy certainly didn't deserve a forced servitude to the Dark Lord. The kid didn't even get the chance to decide his own stance in the confrontation. Harry would mention it to Snape, when he was sure his life was secure from the volatile Head of Slytherin.

His musings were cut short by a fierce growl, followed closely by the tell tale sounds of Saire's insults. He whipped his head around to his familiars, cringing at the site. The Griffin had his front half on the table and was looming over Saire, whose hood was spread in defense and looked about ready to strike.

Harry groaned and let his head fall heavily to the table, narrowly missing his plate and goblet.

"Just what I need." He grumbled into the wood under his head. Harry eyed the two for a moment, restraining himself from banging his head on the table again…barely.

He wasn't prepared for the full-grown Griffin 'cub' to pounce.

He was even less prepared for Saire to dash out of the creature's way by darting down the length of the table towards him and the rest of the house.

No one was prepared for Cin to tear down the table after the snake; on top of the table.

Harry reminded himself that Cineris was his Familiar and that it would be neither appropriate nor smart to kill him. He could, however, string the beast up with diamond-enchanted chains from the highest quidditch goal post; for days.

Harry let his head fall back to the table. Hard. Repeatedly.

oooOoooOoooOooo

"Bloody irritating creatures!" Harry spat.

"He is cute though."

Harry glared at Hermione then stared at the Griffin. Cineris had returned to his normal size, somewhere in the middle of the whole fiasco in the Great Hall. It didn't stop the cub, however, from continuing his pursuit of the snake now wrapped tightly around Harry's middle.

"Adorable." He said. "Tearing up and down the Great Hall, upsetting entire house tables, scaring the students out of their wits. A couple of the younger years were tears! Even the upper classes kept their distance. They completely upset the entire lunch period. Not to mention made a mess to rival the food fight a few days ago."

"What possessed you to start a food fight, anyways?" Hermione asked.

Harry, sensing an impending lecture from the girl, quickly placated her. "It was imperative that I distract the student body."

"By starting a food fight?!"

"It worked!" Harry said. "You may not have noticed, but Albus wasn't present. Actually, neither was Moody."

"I was a little busy dodging mashed potatoes." Hermione said a bit tightly.

Harry shrugged. "There was an emergency. A food fight was the first thing that popped into my head in the short amount of time I had to work with. Besides, I got to through food at Malfoy." He said with a smirk.

Hermione humphed, and crossed her arms, looking at him with a stern expression that could rival McGonagol's best. Harry tried to ignore it.

"At least no one is likely to forget you." Hermione offered, apparently getting past him starting a little bit of mutiny. "This is going to go down in Hogwarts history. Probably could rival the reputation of the Marauders."

"How comforting." Harry said dryly.

"Cineris is young, Darion." Rowena's portrait said.

"And that's an excuse?!" he asked incredulously.

"The Familiars gifted to our Heirs age slowly, Darion. You know this."

Harry sniffed and plopped himself down on the floor below the Founder's frame. Cin sidled up to him slowly, as if searching for forgiveness. Harry ignored the cub for the most part though didn't push him away. The Griffin seemed to take this as a good sign and curled his sleek body around his feet. Harry sighed.

"That doesn't explain his temperament." He said.

"Ash Griffins are called such for more than their coloring." Rowena said from above him. "They are rather feisty creatures and they hold a reputation for sparking confrontations."

"Antagonistic." Harry said under his breath. "Why can't you get along with just one other creature?" he asked the cub. Cin didn't respond.

"He gets along with you." Rowena said almost fondly. Harry conceded to her point. He knew that Griffins were picky with those they associated with, Ash Griffins even more so than their golden-hued cousins. They were also notoriously possessive and jealous guardians. It was really a miracle that Cin accepted Saire's presence at all. He didn't like the snake, but he didn't actively work against her for the most part. They were kind of like siblings. And they got along about as well as a pair of siblings, too.

"You're like a troublesome toddler." He grumbled, flexing his bare toes under the creature's belly, eliciting a soft purr from the cub. Saire, not to be outdone, slithered out from her stranglehold around his diaphragm and curled loosely around his neck and shoulder. He took a deep breath, making sure that he was still able to breath properly after having a serpent try to strangle him.

Harry rubbed his cheek on the top of her head in greeting. He had to concede that the two were entertaining. He wouldn't really know what to do without them.

"Tell me again why we're up here along an unused corridor, in a dusty old classroom by ourselves?" Hermione asked.

"Avoiding Pomfrey." Harry commented at the same time Rowena said, "I asked him here."

Harry sent a scowl up towards the portrait above his head.

"Ok, so avoiding the vulture-doctor is just a bonus." Harry said sullenly.

"I doubt Helga would appreciate the sentiment." Rowena said.

"She doesn't need to worry," Harry said, "she's not a vulture, she's more like a kangaroo; always wants to keep me in her pouch like some way-ward chick. Poppy is the vulture. She even circles around you like one."

"You're not too fond of medi-wizards, are you?" Hermione asked.

"I have no problem with the people themselves. Both Helga and Poppy are wonderful women. I just spend far too much time needing their services."

"Some things never change, then." Hermione said with a grin.

"Regrettably." Harry said. "I'll always be hounded by crazy Slytherins out to either kill me or make me bleed. Voldemort at least doesn't torture me under the guise of being helpful. Salazar was just a bloody tyrant." He grumped.

"Was he really so bad?"

"His idea of a lesson usually involved me ending up in the Medical Wing, Hermione." Harry said dryly.

"Oh."

"He taught you valuable lessons."

Harry snorted. "I can't argue with that. I just didn't much care for his methods."

"You should be happy that he deigned to teach you at all. He was rather picky with his students."

"I'm flattered." Harry said a bit flatly. "I suppose, at least he meant to try to cause me harm. Godric always seemed to manage it accidentally. I'm not sure which is worse."

"Godric is just a little over zealous." Rowena said. "It's in his nature."

"Like it was Sal's nature to chuck snakes at my face, and potions at my feet." Harry said, "You know he actually managed to corrode the floor out from under me once, and I fell straight down three stories into a cave system under the school that no one knew about." He tilted his head to the side in thought. "I wonder if its still there."

"Helga used the opportunity to teach you how to mend bones, if I recall."

"Yea, mine." Harry grumped. "Five of them. I had all kinds of practice."

"Practical application is the best way to learn." Hermione said.

"My sentiments, exactly." Rowena said with approval. Harry didn't have to see the Founder to know that she was giving Hermione a glowing look of appraisal. He felt like was being ganged up on. Two on one odds were hardly fair.

"Why me?" Harry said, hardly expecting an answer.

"No one can truly answer that, Darion." Rowena said.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	26. A Hermione Interrogation

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"My sentiments, exactly." Rowena said with approval. Harry didn't have to see the Founder to know that she was giving Hermione a glowing look of appraisal. He felt like was being ganged up on. Two on one odds were hardly fair.

"Why me?" Harry said, hardly expecting an answer.

"No one can truly answer that, Darion." Rowena said.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**A Hermione Interrogation**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"So, Harry."

Harry started and stared at Hermioe. He had momentarily forgotten that the girl was there. He was so used to sitting in that classroom on the floor with Rowena, that it was easy to forget that he was no longer with the Founders. He wasn't sure that he felt good about that or not. At least he still had a place that could remind him so strongly of his time with them. Of course, Hogwarts in general would always do that.

"So, Hermione." He countered. "Don't you have classes to attend this afternoon?"

"No."

Harry nodded. He already knew what was coming. He had prepared for her list of endless questions about his time away. He just hoped that he was prepared enough. He smirked slightly, "Shoot."

"Pardon me?" she asked.

"Shoot." He repeated. "I know you've got all kinds of questions, so go ahead. Rowena here may actually help me answer some of them if I'm lucky."

"I might." The Founder said. Harry wasn't surprised. Rowena was like that. She would make him flounder through it on his own so that he would learn something. Then she would tell him everything that he did wrong. It was her favorite teaching method.

"You don't mind?" Hermione asked.

"Not with you." Harry said, scratching Saire's chin, "I rather expected it from you, actually."

Hermione blushed a little at his words, which he found to be endearing. She looked at him for a long moment, and he simply waited for her to start. She began her questions with one that he wasn't prepared for, which did not bode well for the rest of the conversation as far as he was concerned.

"Why you?"

"Huh." He paused for time.

"I mean, why are you one of the Founders' Heirs? Aren't they chosen? Why were you chosen to be one? Was it because you're the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Harry blinked. Then he raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. He should have known that once he let her get started that she wouldn't be able to stop. "Uh, Rena, you want to answer that one?" he asked the Founder's portrait hanging above his head. "I wasn't the one who chose myself after all."

"Very well. We chose Harry for a few reasons. Firstly, yes, because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. Voldemort marked him, as the prophesy stated. This was the largest factor in our choice, but it wasn't the only one. Harry also had the ability, or perhaps the potential, to become an Heir. This may be because of his upbringing, it may be due to his heritage, we are unsure, and will never be sure." Rowena paused for a moment before continuing, "It is a question of paradox. We will never know, without any doubt, that we would not have chosen Harry as an Heir if Tom remained true to his Task. It is possible that we would have called him to us regardless, but it is equally possible that we would not have needed his presence as an Heir.

"Also," she continued, "His status as a distant descendant of Gryffindor aided the transition. It is easier for us to bring back our blood descendants, though that is hardly a prerequisite to be a Founders' Heir."

"You're the Heir of Gryffidor, as well?" Hermione asked.

"No, I'm from one of the minor lines." Harry said. "I believe the primary Gryffindor line died out some years ago, and the secondary line is the Argyle's, who's last daughter, Elaine, married Albus' father, Alfred."

"The Headmaster is…" Hermione tapered off.

"No, actually." Rowena said, "Albus and Aberforth were from Alfred's first wife. Alfred and Elaine had a daughter, who married into the Longbottom line."

Harry smiled. "Neville is actually a more direct descendant of Gryffindor than I am. He was placed into the right house, after all."

"That hat knows what its doing, Darion." Rowena said.

"Of course it does." Harry humphed. He didn't quite believe that, and the Founder knew of his opinion on the ratty old piece of head-wear.

"So Neville is the Heir of Gryffindor?"

"He will be, eventually." Harry said. "His father is the current Heir, I believe."

"Oh." Hermione seemed a little surprised by the information. Harry wasn't terribly shocked at that. He, too, had been surprised when her learned of Neville's heritage. He hadn't expected his old class and dorm mate to be of the Gryffindor line. He should have though. Nevill had proved the strength and courage of his line during the whole fiasco at the Ministry in their fifth year. Not many would have been able to face a dozen Death Eaters the way Neville did that night. Actually, all of the ones that had followed Harry to the Ministry demonstrated a courage that was rare, especially within their age group.

"What was it like?" Hermione asked, seemingly awed by the whole idea that Harry spent years with the Founders.

Harry shrugged. "Like school, I guess, except I gather it was a bit more dangerous, what with Salazar throwing snakes and potions at me every time I turned around."

"Don't get into that again, Darion, we all know that you can whine and complain about Salazar for hours, and we don't need to hear it again." Rowena said.

Harry grumbled under his breath, but followed her orders.

"Is that," Hermione paused, seemingly unsure if she wanted to ask the question. "Is that where you got all your scars?"

Harry blinked. "Some of them." He said. "Most of my scars are from when the wands exploded. Especially the ones on my face and chest." He ran a finger down the right side of his face, feeling the scattering of scars there. "Most of the time Helga was able to heal whatever injuries I had with minimal scarring, but some left a mark. Not all of them are on my chest, though. I think the worst one is when he managed to hit me with a corroding potion of some sort and it melted away the whole right side of my hip, half of my right thigh, knee and foot. It then proceeded to disintegrate three floors below my feet. I was lucky I didn't fall through that one. I fell through one of his acid holes before, I had no desire to do so a second time."

"What was his reasoning behind that, did he ever tell you?" Rowena asked.

"Yea," Harry said darkly, "He said he was trying to teach me to dodge."

"Did you learn the lesson?"

"Of course I did!" Harry exclaimed. "I wouldn't let Salazar within a twenty foot radius of me, and I made sure I knew exactly when he entered a room. I wasn't about to be caught unawares of him again."

"Ah. That's what he did, then." Rowena said. "I had wondered what Salazar had done to warrant that little prank."

Harry smirked widely, and a little evilly. "I thought it was a brilliant idea. One of my best."

"It certainly accomplished what it was meant to, I suppose." The Founder conceded.

"What did you do to him?" Hermione asked a bit hesitantly. Harry figured she was a little afraid to know what he had done in retaliation.

Harry laughed. "I charmed him."

"What kind of charm?"

"A proximity charm." Harry said.

"To what, you?"

"No, although he might have thought that at first." Harry said. "I charmed him so that every time he walked thorugh a door way music would play." He grinned mischievously, "Loudly."

"It was an old lullaby tune." Rowena said. "It was sweet at first, but got to be terribly annoying very quickly."

"How so?" Hermione asked.

"It took Helga nearly four weeks to repair my hip, leg and foot." Harry said. "During that whole time I was all but strapped to a bed in the Medical Ward. I think I almost developed a phobia of the place." He shuddered at the memory. It had been a very long month; and a painful one. "So I charmed Salazar as soon as Helga let me leave the ward. I wasn't about to go back there for as long as I could manage. Actually, I would have been perfectly happy to never go back."

"Darion didn't take the charm off of him for over a month." Rowena said. "Salazar had taken to wearing some sort of ear plugs, so he didn't hear the tune every time he walked into a room, but the rest of us still did. We all got tired of it very quickly."

Harry smirked. "I knew where he was though."

"There is that." Rowena said with a sigh.

"Where there only the Founders there as professors, or were there others?" Hermione asked.

"At the time we bring the Heirs to us, there were only the four of us."

"How does that work? How do you figure the time difference? If Harry was there at the same time as Voldemort and the Headmaster, how did you know that you would need him? Were there other Heirs there at the same time? Heirs from the past or the future?"

Harry smiled at Hermione's enthusiasm. "I'm sorry." She said, "I'm just curious, and I can't quite figure out how it would work."

"That's rather difficult to answer." He said. "Rena?"

He heard a light sigh from above him before the Founder started in on the girl's list of questions. "We bring our Heirs back to us during the time before we opened the school to the public. In short, we created a sort of time stasis, in order to teach all of our Heirs. It's rather difficult to explain, and I'm sure you wouldn't understand it if I did." Harry noticed that Hermione looked a little disappointed at this, but seemed to accept it. He knew that the spells and charms that the Founders were able to cast were highly advanced, and quite possibly had never been repeated. "At any given point, there were usually anywhere from three to twelve of our Heirs with us at a time. For instance, when Harry arrived there were already seven Heirs present, Everard, Melaina, Branwen, Gideon, Albus, Aberforth and Tom. By the time Harry left there were only three with us; Harry, Charles and Susan."

Rowena paused, and Harry decided to add his two cents to the explanation. "I was with the Founders for five years. Most of the Heirs left within the first two years after I arrived. Albus and Aberforth left after I had been there for three years, and Tom left the year after they did. Charles came a number of months before the Dumbledore's left and Susan arrived shortly after Tom left."

"They overlap each other during their time with us much as they overlap in their own time periods." Rowena said.

"Melaina?" Hermione said, "Melaina Sanders?"

Harry nodded. He remembered the fiery blonde Melaina quite well. She was a gorgeous woman with a wicked tongue. She could throw insults along with the best of them and she was incredibly smart, especially with Arithmancy. Harry hadn't liked her.

"I've read about her." Hermione stated, excited. "She made a break through in Arithmancy in the mid nineteenth century. It revolutionized how the Wizarding world viewed the subject. It was absolutely fascinating."

Harry wasn't surprised. Melaina was brilliant with numbers and calculations. She even managed to calculate the probability that he would have one of his pranks backfired on him in the duration of his stay with the Founders. She was one of the very few who figured out that he was the one pranking Salazar all the time. He was never able to get her to tell him exactly _how_ she knew, which aggravated him to no end. And the one time that he tried to prank her, just for irritating him with all her bloody numbers, she somehow managed to turn it against him. He just didn't get how she did it.

"Yes, that was the primary focus of her Task." Rowena said. "To continue with your questions, we brought Harry to us, because we simply knew. As to the how, I can't honestly tell you. I suppose it's a secret of the Founders." She said with amusement.

"Don't listen to her, they just pull people around in time for the fun of it." Harry said.

"Calculating the differences in travel, instance and the space interval is hardly what I would consider fun, Darion."

"Of course not!" he exclaimed.

"Arithmancy really is something you should have bothered to learn."

"I have no gift for numbers." Harry said.

"So I've found." Rowena said dryly. "You are a little one sided."

"I'm not that bad."

"Oh?"

"I'm good at a lot of things." Harry said defensively.

"Of course. Flying and pranking."

"I've had a lot of practice." Harry said airily. "Salazar left me now choice in the matter."

"Yes, of course. Hexing Salazar and then flying to escape him."

Harry shrugged with a smirk. He couldn't help it that Salazar needed a good hexing every now and then. The man usually deserved it. Harry was only too happy to give it to him.

They sat in silence for a while; Harry absently stroking Cin's belly with his feet. The Griffin's soft purrs echoed a bit in the room.

"Isn't it strange?" Hermione asked. "Knowing people who lived in a different time?"

"Like Albus?" Harry said. He shrugged his shoulder. "I suppose. Me and Albus made friends fast enough. Of course, I actually knew who he would become, so that put an interesting twist to our relationship, but otherwise I rather think it's nice. I've met and known some of the greatest minds and personages in our history, or at least the last few centuries of history. Not many can lay claim to have met Dei Llewellyn, or Melaina Sanders."

"True." Hermione said. "I would have liked to meet such people. But still, living with them like that for years must have been odd."

"It is now I guess." Harry said. "But only a little. Me and Albus were close during our time with the Founders. While we may not be the same age now, we're still close friends. He'll still help me with my pranks, too." He ended cheerfully.

"Merlin help the school." Rowena mumbled.

"I can't help it." Harry said. "It's in my blood."

"It didn't come from your mother, that's for sure." The Founder stated.

"You knew Harry's mother?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, she found her way up here during her third year, I believe. She was a wonderful conversationalist, and had some brilliant theories within the charms field."

"Will you tell me about her, Rena?" Harry asked.

"Yes, another day. You may want to talk to Godric, I believe he worked closely with your father for a few years."

"Really?"

"Is that such a surprise?"

Harry thought about that a moment. "No, it isn't. He was ever so helpful with thinking up good prank ideas to try out on Salazar. I wonder if Godric learned from my dad, or the other way around."

"Does it matter?" Rowena asked. "You wouldn't have been missing much if you didn't have that half of your family in you at all." She stated dryly.

"Hey, I happen to like that side of the family." Harry said.

"Yes, it adds so much flavor to your genealogy." Rowena said.

"You just aren't fond of Godric's idea of revenge." Harry said.

"Pranks are hardly dignified." She said imperiously.

"Pranks are perfectly dignified, so long as you don't get caught."

"Harry?" Hermione interjected into their debate. Harry was glad for the interruption, not that he would admit it. He was beginning to run out of decent responses to Rowena's challenging jibes. It was one of their games; a type of conversational word game in order to challenge each other's wit and vocabulary. Harry usually got double the practice, what with Salazar's habit of insults and dry humor.

"I'm curious," Hermione said, "Are you descended from Godric on you father's side, or your mother's?"

"My father's, the Potter family." Harry said. "So if you take away that side of the family I would loose more than just my heritage of pranking." He added toward the Founder above him. "My mother was Muggle-born, for all we know I could become a Squib without my father's line as well."

"Losing any ties with Godric, isn't all that great a loss." Rowena said. "And living as a Muggle isn't that bad a thing, either."

"Wait a minute." Harry said, sitting up sharply. The motion jarred Saire, who hissed in annoyance. He barely noticed her irritation, however. "What did I just say?"

"Wait a minute." Hermione repeated diligently.

"No, no before that."

"That you might have been a Squib without your father's line." Hermione said.

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Cin scrabbled away from him as he began to pace. "That's the way!"

Harry turned around in place, and upon spotting the location of the door shot towards it barely short of a run. He was out of the room and down the hall before either of the two women could stop him.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Hermione stared after him in slight shock. She was then startled when the Griffin cub huffed in annoyance and ruffled his feathers before approaching her. She was glad that the creature seemed to like her, and scratched Cin's head as he lay down next to her. The Griffin's soft purrs again filled the room in Harry's wake.

"Does he do that often?" Hermione asked the Founder.

"I'm not sure where he picked up such a habit." She said, "But yes, unfortunately. He does it very often."

"Whatever is he up to?"

"No doubt he's just thought of something, or figured out some puzzle, or what not." Rowena said dismissively. "He's probably gone off to Albus."

"Do you have any idea what he was thinking of?"

"No. It could have been anything. His mind seems to be like that. He keeps puzzles and mysteries sitting in the back of his mind, just waiting to be told the answers. He will suddenly figure something out and go off to research it, or bounce his ideas off of someone."

"Do you think he'll be coming back here?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose its possible, though it might be some time."

"Do you mind if I stay here for a while, then?"

"Not at all." The Founder said, smiling. "This is my old office, and it hasn't been used in centuries. I don't get too many visitors, what with it being all the way up here on the seventh floor. You are more than likely to stay as long as you like."

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome. I should really be thanking you."

"Would you tell me about Harry's mom?" Hermione asked. "Lily."

Rowena smiled fondly. "I would love to."

oooOoooOoooOooo


	27. What's In A Name

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome. I should really be thanking you."

"Would you tell me about Harry's mom?" Hermione asked. "Lily."

Rowena smiled fondly. "I would love to."

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**What's In a Name**

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Harry took the stairs two at a time and didn't even pause to knock on Albus' door before waltzing in.

"Bill!" he called as he entered the office. He vaguely noticed that Albus hadn't been alone in the room, though he only got so far in his identification of the other person to know that he was safe to say what he wanted.

"I think I've found a way to defeat him." Harry announced, coming to a stop directly before the Headmaster. Harry leaned over the desk, putting his face close to that of his friend's.

"Really?" Albus set down an overly flowery teacup to look at him properly. Harry blinked and followed the cup with his eyes, momentarily distracted by Albus' newest china concoction, before returning to his conversation.

"Aye, and I won't even have to kill him."

"That is good news." Albus said, "Tea?"

Harry warily eyed the tea set again. "No thanks."

"Take a seat, Harry."

"No, that's alright." Harry said, beginning to pace before the Headmaster's desk as he thought through his idea. He wasn't sure that it would work. It all depended on things that he had no control over, nor any way of knowing. He paused suddenly to stare at the Headmaster in surprise. "Did you just call me Harry?"

"Indeed, that is your name."

"One of them anyways." Harry said finally taking the time to fully identify Albus' other guest. The man was seated in one of Albus' poofy chairs, and seemed to be watching him with apparent amusement.

"Hello, Remus." Harry greeted.

"Harry."

"Do you have any idea how odd it feels to be called that?" Harry asked as he took one of the empty chairs. "I haven't heard that name in years."

"Perhaps you should get used to it again." Albus suggested.

"I'd much rather not, actually." Harry said.

"Why not" Remus asked. Harry noticed that the man seemed sad, though he couldn't figure out why. The werewolf was terribly difficult to read, and Harry found that he had some trouble identifying the emotions running through his amber eyes.

"Because Darion Elddir does not hold the expectations that Harry Potter does."

"What do you mean?"

Harry took a deep breath and sprawled back into the chair, throwing a leg over the arm. "As Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, I always felt compelled to act and react in a certain manner. As Darion, I have the freedom to be myself and act more naturally. I suppose in a way I feel more myself as Darion Elddir, or at least I have the freedom to be myself."

"I am sorry, my boy, that you felt that way." Albus said, the regret in his eyes evident.

"Don't bother yourself about it, Bill." Harry quipped, seeing the twinkle brighten again in the old man's eyes at his easy tone. "You're too old to worry about such things as us young folks." Harry smirked.

"I am not old, Darion."

"Yes you are, Albus." Remus threw in. Harry sent the man a grin. There was a reason that Remus was one of the Marauders.

Albus gave them a hurt look, but his eyes were bright with mirth. He knew darn well that he was old, and he knew that Harry and Remus were well aware of it. Besides, Harry mused, he had every right to tease the man since they were teenage friends who suddenly found themselves over a century apart.

"Besides," Harry said, "It was the world's expectation of the Boy-Who-Lived; a hero that had no knowledge on how to be one that caused such feelings. I was able to become myself fully during the time with the Founders, and you aided in that, even if you were unaware of it at the time."

Albus nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Will you not take the name your parents gave you again?" Remus asked. The sadness was back in the man's eyes, and Harry hated to see it. The werewolf was the last true link he had to his parents, and it pained him to see that Remus seemed so down.

"I suppose my name hardly matters." Harry said slowly. "So far as I or those who are close to me are concerned. It is the wider Wizarding world that is affected by my name. I will use it later in order to complete my Task. The Founders suspected that I would need the reputation I have as the Boy-Who-Lived to effectively aid in the recovery of Voldemort's reign. We hope it'll be easier, at any rate."

Remus watched him, and Harry held the man's gaze. Harry suspected that the werewolf was a little reluctant to let him give up the name that his parent's gave to him. Harry didn't want to give it up either. He was simply more comfortable with the name the Founders gave him.

"Remus," Harry said softly, and waited for the man to meet his eyes before he continued, "It is not that I denounce my family. I would like nothing more than to carry the name my parents gave to me; but the media and legend of Harry Potter has tainted that joy for me and circumstances forced me to take on a new name. Just because I am more comfortable with this name does not mean that I will never again take on my true name. Now is just not the time for Harry Potter to reappear to the world."

Remus seemed to understand, and nodded. Harry felt the man's emotions ease and he was glad that the man understood. He made a mental note, though, to spend some time with the werewolf at a later date. The man seemed so alone.

"Lemon drop?" Albus' jovial voice called out. Harry sent the man an irritated look.

"No thanks, I've got my own." He quipped as he pulled one out of his pocket. He smirked as he popped the candy into this mouth.

"I do believe that they were mine at one point." Albus said.

"I stole them fair and square, Bill." Harry said. "I even gave most of them back."

"Yes, tampered with."

Harry shrugged.

"You said you found a way to defeat Voldemort?" Remus asked, bringing the conversation back around.

"Yes, I believe so." Harry said as he shifted the candy around in his mouth, "Geneo-Magic."

"Geneo-Magic?"

"It's a bit of an obscure field, interrelated a bit with Medi-Magic, Historical Positioning, and Transfiguration, of all things. I'm still trying to figure out if the guy who pioneered the field was sane." Harry said thoughtfully. "There isn't much about it, and few Wizards actually study it to much extent."

"I do believe that some of the aristocratic families use spells and potions from that field in order to reaffirm one's lineage." Albus said.

Harry nodded. "Yes, that is the most common use of the field now. Medi-Wizards also use a few spells to identify the parental genes of a new-born. They're similarly related."

"So how is this going to help you with the Dark Lord?" Remus asked.

"Simple." Harry said, sitting up on the edge of his seat, "I'm going to erase half of his genealogy."

"What?" Remus said, confused.

"There's an old spell that will allow one to take away half of someone's heritage. I found it in an obscure book in the Library last week." Harry said, waving a hand in the general direction of the Library, "It was originally developed to fight an odd disease that was passed down through your genes. Apparently it was a defection of some sort that caused an early death in children. It was figured out that it was passed down through families. They were able to pin point which side of the family held the gene and then developed this spell to erase half of a heritage from a child that showed the early symptoms of the disease." Harry waved his hand dismissively. "Anyways, the spell worked and the disease eventually disappeared from the Wizarding world. The spell was no longer needed and passed away from common knowledge."

"So how will this help you?" Remus asked.

"Tom is a half blood." Harry said with a small smirk.

Remus still looked a little confused, but a dawning realization caused the Headmaster's eyes to twinkle brightly.

"And you won't have to kill him." Albus clapped his hands together with a grin.

Harry nodded with a smile. "Exactly. He can't very well be a Dark Lord if he has no magic."

"You're going to use the spell to take away the genes that made him a wizard." Remus said.

"Yup." Harry said a bit proudly. "His mother was a witch, but his father was a full blown Muggle, not a trace of magic in his bones. If I use the spell to target and erase Voldemort's heritage that he received from his mother, he should no longer have the genes that made him a wizard."

"He'll be a squib, if not a Muggle." Albus said.

Harry nodded and leaned back into his chair, still smirking slightly. He could imagine the look on Voldemort's face when he became the very thing that he was so set against. It was a satisfying image.

"You think it'll work?" Remus asked.

"I suppose it will." Harry said, "I hope it will. I have no great desire to kill the man."

Albus nodded. "Well done, Harry. Have you told the Founders yet?"

Harry blushed slightly. "Ah no, actually I was talking to Rowena and kind of ran out on her." He said somewhat absently. "I'll call them together later and propose the idea to them."

"Ah," Remus cut in, "I hate to do so, but I really must take my leave."

"Of course, Remus." Albus said, "Thank you for coming."

"No problem, Albus, none at all." He said, rising from his chair.

"I will see you tonight, Remus."

"Yes, will you be flooing in?"

"Most likely."

"Alright." Remus said, stepping up to the fireplace, "I'll see you later, Harry."

Harry nodded, as the werewolf flooed out of the office, calling out a location that Harry wasn't familiar with.

"Speaking of which," Albus said after the fire quieted again, "There is an Order Meeting tonight, Darion, would you like to attend?"

"Yes, I suppose I would." Harry said, summoning one of Albus' teacups to him. "Where is it located?"

"An old family house of Severus', actually. I believe Remus is currently staying there and working with Molly and Nymphadora to make it habitable. It will be the first time we've used it for a meeting."

Harry smiled at the thought of the three of them trying to clean out a Snape house. He couldn't imagine that Snape was too pleased with the idea. He wondered if the surely man knew that Albus had sent the three over to the place. He briefly toyed with the idea of telling his Master, just to see what he would do. It could be interesting to see Snape irritated with Albus. At least, more irritated than he normally was.

"So Grimmauld Place is over-run, then?" Harry asked.

"We can only assume so." Albus said, "However we managed to empty the house of most items of interest."

"The trunk that Sirius left for me?"

"Is with the rest of the items in storage."

Harry nodded. He didn't want to lose that. He had no idea what Sirius could have possibly left for him in that trunk, but he figured that he wouldn't really care. He had enough time during his stay with the Founders to come to terms with his Godfather's death, but he still missed him terribly.

"You could most likely retrieve it without much incident if you wanted to."

Harry nodded. "Will you tell them of my identity?"

"I won't if you would prefer I not."

Harry thought about it for a moment, trying to anticipate the Order's reaction to the news. He supposed that it wouldn't be too bad, considering a number of them already were aware of who he was.

"Very well, you may tell them." Harry sent the man a look, "I suppose you'll want to make some to-do out of it."

"It would hardly be fun if I didn't." Albus said jovially.

Harry quirked an eyebrow at him and rolled his eyes. "Fine. But that means I get to have some fun as well."

"Fair enough."

The two shared identical looks as they plotted their later fun with the Order. Harry was glad that the old man still had some of the boy he grew so fond of in him. Albus was a good prankster, once he opened up to the idea. He smirked into his tea. The Order wouldn't know what hit them.

"There is a Hogsmeade trip scheduled for this weekend." Albus said, breaking Harry out his plotting thoughts.

"Is that wise?"

"It will be heavily chaperoned, and many of the Order will be there."

"You want me to do something?" Harry asked, already planning to go to the village, whether Albus asked him to or not.

"If you could be present there, I would be grateful."

"Not a problem, Albus." Harry said, "I would go even if you didn't ask me to."

"Thank you, Harry."

They sat in silence for a while; both sipping on tea from flowery cups, in a companionship that Harry could hardly find anywhere else.

"I'm thinking of telling Ron." He said suddenly.

"It may be a good idea." Albus said. "As Ms. Granger is already aware of your identity."

"Yes, well, that wasn't exactly planned." Harry said.

"Tell your friends, Harry." Albus said softly.

Harry looked at him and nodded. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell them; he was simply hesitant about their reactions.

"I am no longer a student." Harry said quietly. "I am five years older than they are."

"They are still your friends."

"Will they still be?" Harry asked, gazing up at the ceiling, as was his habit. "There is five years between me and them. Five years that I spent apart from them. Five years that doesn't even exist for them. I am not the boy that I was when I left, and to them I disappeared only a month ago."

"They will understand and accept it, Harry."

"Perhaps, in time." Harry conceded.

"Give them the time that they need to do so," Albus said, "They will not abandon you."

Harry raised his head enough to look at his friend. "I know. I'm just hesitant to tell them, I suppose. Ron's going to have a conniption fit, I'm sure."

"Perhaps you can tell them tomorrow when you go to Hogsmeade." Albus suggested.

"Yea, perhaps." Harry got up and headed for the door. "I suppose I should track down Snape."

"I believe Severus is in his lab." Albus offered.

"Meddlesome old goat." Harry mumbled and shot the man a look as he left.

He heard the man's chuckling all the way down the stairwell.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	28. Confrontation and Poison

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Yea, perhaps." Harry got up and headed for the door. "I suppose I should track down Snape."

"I believe Severus is in his lab." Albus offered.

"Meddlesome old goat." Harry mumbled and shot the man a look as he left.

He heard the man's chuckling all the way down the stairwell.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Confrontation and Poison**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry indeed found Snape sequestered within his private lab, nearly bent double over one of his worktables and apparently dissecting the remains of some poor creature. Harry didn't linger on the identification of whatever it might have been before the Potions Master got a hold of it. He was pretty sure that he didn't want to know.

He hovered within the doorway for a moment, hesitant to enter the lab. If the way the man was snarling at the mess before him was any indication, Snape wasn't in a pleasant mood. The fact that he had a sharp knife in his hand didn't do anything to calm Harry's nerves. Clear memories of Salazar in a similar setting made him cautious. Salazar had been in the habit to suddenly throw something deadly at him when he was least expecting it.

Harry eyed the knife warily as he entered the room, and he kept a safe distance between himself and his Master as he perched on the edge of one of the stools near the door.

Snape either ignored him, or didn't notice him as he continued to cut whatever was on the table into smaller pieces. Harry was pretty sure that there was no way to identify whatever it was anymore. There were no longer any recognizable features left.

Harry was cut from his musings when Snape suddenly spoke.

"What are you here for, Potter?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at the man's snarky tone. He hadn't heard it from him in years. Snape hadn't exactly liked him as Darion Elddir, but at least the intense hatred Harry had felt from him as a Potter was absent. Apparently it was back.

"It's Elddir, Snape." Harry said in cool voice.

Snape looked up at him with a snarl, which Harry was happy to return. He could play such games with ease. After all, Salazar was a master.

"What are you doing here?" Snape repeated.

"Oh I don't know," Harry said a bit nonchalantly, "To learn how to brew a potion, perhaps."

"And destroy my cauldrons."

Harry decided to ignore the man's hateful tone. "I'm really not as hopeless at the subject as you believe me to be."

"You are a menace to yourself and those around you." Snape said, "You're dismal skills at brewing potions are nearly as bad as that inane excuse of a student, Longbottom."

Harry clenched his teeth, finding it more and more difficult to hold his anger in check as the man continued to degrade his skills and his old friends. "You haven't seen me brew a potion in over five years."

"You managed a rather spectacular display of failure just four months ago." Snape sneered.

"Four months for you." Harry said stiffly, "Not for me."

"I doubt any amount of time in the world would be enough to make you in any way competent in the subject."

Harry seethed silently, and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Snape was being unnecessarily and exaggeratingly unfair and biased, and it was beginning to heavily grate on his nerves.

"You know darn well that Salazar continued my lessons in potions." Harry said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"I know no such thing." Snape said, sneer firmly in place. "You have proved no level of competency to me in the past, nor after your selfish disappearance through the summer."

"Selfish?" Harry hissed. "I had no control over that! The Founders choose whom they wish to with no consultation on the part of their Heirs. I was in the middle of being tortured by Voldemort's pathetic followers after watching the death of the last of my blood relatives, if you'll recall, Snape, when I suddenly found myself one thousand years in the past. I didn't choose my life!" Harry ended with a yell.

"No one does, Potter." Snape said heatedly.

Snape sneered at him, and Harry met his look with a cold glare, holding the man's dark eyes with his own in a heated parody of a staring contest. Harry was still angry, though he no longer felt as if he would lose control of himself. Snape's actions had riled him up greatly, much to his surprise. He cared more for the man's opinion of him than he had thought.

"You know as well as I do that Albus managed to wiggle us both into this Apprenticeship, and there's no way of getting out of it with him." Harry said, any trace of his anger was gone form his voice.

"I will not apprentice you, Potter."

"You already have!" Harry snarled, his temper getting the better of him again.

"I won't!"

Harry jumped to his feet and stalked across the room towards the Potions Master, glaring the man in the eye as he went. "Get your head out of your arse, Snape. I may have been born Harry James Potter, but I am also Darion Elddir." Harry spoke in a deadly hiss as he invaded the man's personal space and leered at him, "You took me as your apprentice, and I accepted that role, and it is irrevocable. You have me for the next two years, Snape, and I will not deal with your petty grudges and unfounded hate for me. I am not my father!"

Snape opened his mouth with a dark look, no doubt to snarl some sort of scathing remark at him, but Harry spoke over the man, not giving him time to say anything.

"I may be the son of the man you hate, of the man who gave you hell through school, but I never knew James Potter." He said in a quiet hiss, "My father died before I got the chance to know him, along with my mother, and any hopes I had at a normal life. I may be Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived" Harry sneered at the title, "But I am also a Founders' Heir. I bear the mark of training from all four of Hogwarts Founders. I have the blood of Gryffindor, and the power of Slytherin in my veins."

Harry leaned forward, pressing his face close to that of the man's before him, knowing that his eyes were beginning to flare with his magic. "I am trained to be a hunter, to destroy the monster that is trying to take over this world. Do not force me to wake that part of me just to prove to you that I am not some naïve school boy, you would not appreciate the results, Snape."

Harry eased himself back and took a few steps away, while keeping his eyes locked with the man before him. Snape simply stared back apparently not a little shocked at Harry's outburst. Harry could see the trace flashes of emotion cross the Slytherin's face, which was proof enough that the man had been startled out of his funk. Snape's masks were notoriously strong, and few things would cause the man to slip in his façade.

"I know you don't like my father." Harry said once he had full control over his vocal cords, and his temper once more. "And I know why you don't like him. I rather suspect that I wouldn't like him much either." Harry paused slightly as he watched Snape's usual mask slide back into place, blocking out any trace of thought or feeling. "I know you don't like me, though I have no idea why, and I don't particularly care. I don't even care if you never like me." He continued, carefully watching the man's limited reactions. "I don't much care for you either, and I certainly do not appreciate your unfounded hatred and biased insults when you have no knowledge of their truths."

Harry held up a hand to stall whatever comments Snape had been about to say. No doubt they would have been cutting. Remarkably, Snape held his silence. "I do, however, hold a great amount of respect for you, which is the only reason that I let Albus manipulate me into this Apprenticeship under you. You can continue with your current choice of communication and interaction between us if you so desire, but, " Harry narrowed his eyes coldly and not without threat, "I will retaliate against every undeserved insult, I will match every belittering comment with one of my own, and I will make your life every bit as difficult and unpleasing as you make mine."

"Is that a threat, Apprentice?" Snape said with a glare.

Harry smirked slightly at the use of term, but it faded quickly. "No, that's a promise, one that my history will more than attest to." His smirk returned in force, though for an entirely different reason. "Ask Salazar if you have any doubts about that. He didn't take my warning to heart, and got the full brunt of my skills turned against him."

Snape studied him for a moment, apparently weighing his words. Harry was just happy that the man had listened to him and seemed to be actually considering what he said. It was more than he had expected. He felt a brush of legilemancy against his shields, but made no move to push it away. Snape wouldn't be able to enter his mind, his defenses were too good for that, but the man's skills were such that he would be able to discern a certain level of truth in what Harry had said. Harry tilted his head to the side slightly, acknowledging the entrance, but not breaking eye contact, allowing Snape to feel out the outer layers of his defenses. After a moment Snape's presence retreated and the man physically turned away from him back to his mangled mess on the table.

Harry watched him for a moment, not bothering to point out that whatever creature Snape had been dicing would no longer serve him well for a potion, unless it called for mash or powder. Snape seemed to have accepted him, or at least was considering it. Harry had no illusions that the man would treat him nicely, or even fairly, but he felt justified in any of his natural retaliations since Snape had been fairly warned. If the man crossed the line, then Harry would get even, but he wouldn't provoke the Slytherin head unduly; at least not most of the time.

Snape suddenly looked up at him with a calculating eye. Harry returned it neutrally, wondering what sadistic plan the man was cooking up. Snape seemed to make up his mind about something as he pointed to a door behind him.

"Storage room." Snape snapped. Harry raised an eyebrow at him but didn't comment. Snape then pointed to a workstation along one of the walls where a cauldron was already situated. "Mikzie's." Snape said, and then returned his attention to his own table. Harry didn't move for a moment as his brain filled in the rest of the man's rather limited instructions.

Apparently his Master wanted him to brew the Mikzie's Mortuserum. Harry shrugged and crossed the room into the storage closet to gather the needed ingredients. If Snape wanted a demonstration of his potions skills, then he would certainly get one with that recipe. Mikzie's was a difficult brew, and required a lot of patience and skill to be successful. While Harry didn't have either naturally, Salazar had efficiently drilled it into him when it came to certain potions, and he wasn't at all worried that he couldn't brew the asked for potion.

Harry returned to the lab to find that Snape had cleared the mess from his table and replaced it with a bucket of what appeared to be some sort of thick mud with something swimming around in it. Harry rather suspected that it would be slimy and he had no desire to be involved in whatever process Snape was about to undertake so he hastily passed by the man to his own side of the lab.

Harry shut out the sounds of slopping mud as he set up the workstation to his preferences and began the tedious task of lining up his ingredients. A wet smacking sound, as something wet being slapped to a table nearly broke his concentration, but he persevered and began counting out the required measurements of Chimera blood.

The reverberating ring of a butcher knife as it struck the stone surface of the table, however, nearly made him jump and he very nearly lost count.

Risking a glance towards Snape proved to be a bad idea. Harry felt his nose curl up in response to the sight of some sort of hideous looking eel with what looked like its head sliced off. A thick brown substance was oozing out of the eel-like creature's innards onto the table.

"Lovely," Harry muttered to himself, "Marsh Eels."

Snape's face showed a twisted satisfaction at the sight of the chopped eel halves.

Harry turned from the scene as he forced his lunch back into his stomach and stared at the line up of ingredients before him. Sending a forlorn look towards the door, he heaved a sigh and pulled his focus back onto the task at hand. The poison would take him most of the afternoon to brew, and he would be lucky if he completed the process in time for dinner.

A second ring of the knife upon the table behind him sent a shudder through his spine. Snape, no doubt, was doing it on purpose, most likely as a distraction to test him. Harry knew it was going to be a long afternoon.

oooOoooOoooOooo

It was past the normal time for dinner before Harry completed the final stages of the potion. He eyed the three small vials of poison that was the result of a long and tedious afternoon. Snape had gone through the entire bucket of Marsh Eels before deciding to hover around his Apprentice once the reverberating sounds of the knife seemed ineffective as a distraction. Harry, of course, outwardly ignored any sort of attempts Snape made to divert his attention, while inwardly following the man's every move. It was the same sort of strategies that Salazar had used, though Snape had yet to chuck acid, or something else equally deadly, at him.

Harry labeled the vials in his usual mixing of languages, and placed one on the counter before Snape while slipping two into a pocket of his robes. He watched dispassionately as Snape inspected the vial and the poison within, while his Griffin cub crawled up his legs to settle around his shoulders.

"'Lo, Cin." He greeted the cub, and smiled at the purred response. The Griffin had entered the lab sometime during the brewing process, and knowing better than to interrupt, had settled under one of the lab tables to wait.

"Acceptable." Snape said of the potion. Harry watched, slightly amused as the man slipped the vial into the volumes of his robes. He knew darn well that the potion was more than simply acceptable.

"What language is it labeled in?" Snape asked.

Harry shrugged. "A mix of English, old Welsh, Latin and Parseltongue."

"Indeed." Snape said with a disapproving sneer.

"Salazar wasn't fond of my labeling methods, either." Harry commented. "I rather suspect that it was because he couldn't figure them out, and managed to mix them up once, resulting in a rather interesting side effect."

Snape didn't respond, instead eyed the Griffin wrapped around the youth's shoulders.

"You allow that menace into the lab?"

Harry chuckled. "Cin learned not to interrupt a wizard while he's brewing."

Snape raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"He surprised Sal and managed to get a cauldron of half completed wart remover dumped on his head." Harry said with a smirk, ignoring Cin's annoyed growl at his ear. "It took about three weeks for all his hair to grow back, and closer to three months before Sal would stop throwing hexes at him."

Snape snorted at the story, which Harry figured was as close as the man got to a laugh in public. Harry shifted slightly as he felt Saire slither her head out of his collar, her hissing chuckles tickling his throat. Cin snapped his beak at the snake in irritation, and Harry eyed the two beasts wrapped around his shoulders warily. He didn't fancy getting in the middle of the two when they started one of their spats.

"ss,Alright,ss" he hissed so both would fully understand him, and pulled their heads apart forcibly, "ss,Don't start up again, you've already managed to destroy the Great Hall with your theatrics, and Snape'll have your heads and mine if you do anything to his lab,ss"

The two creatures seemed to settle at this and returned to their previous activities, mainly squeezing his chest – Saire – and purring in his ear – Cin. Harry then noticed the look on Snape's face.

The Slytherin was staring at him in barely contained astonishment, unease and, if he wasn't much mistaken, jealousy. Harry blinked, and Snape quickly collected himself.

"I want you here Monday morning to assist with the NEWT level classes." Snape said, and with a dramatic twirl of his robes stalked out of the lab into his chambers. Harry blinked after the man for a moment, still quite surprised at the response he got from the man upon hearing him speak Parseltongue. There were few people who would look at him with anything but disgust, mistrust or unease when he spoke the language, and yet Snape was jealous of his ability.

Harry shrugged and left the lab to seek out a source of food. He hadn't got the chance to eat much at lunch, what with his familiars' antics, and he was starved after spending all afternoon brewing poisons for Snape's satanic pleasure. He was just glad that the surly man had seemed to accept that he was no longer the boy Snape thought he was, and apparently decided to give him half a chance. It was more than he had expected, especially so quickly after his 'secret identity' being revealed.

That just left Ron and the Order to worry about. Harry shuddered at the thought of the Weasleys' reactions to the news.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	29. The Medusa Curse

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry shrugged and left the lab to seek out a source of food. He hadn't got the chance to eat much at lunch, what with his familiars' antics, and he was starved after spending all afternoon brewing poisons for Snape's satanic pleasure. He was just glad that the surly man had seemed to accept that he was no longer the boy Snape thought he was, and apparently decided to give him half a chance. It was more than he had expected, especially so quickly after his 'secret identity' being revealed.

That just left Ron and the Order to worry about. Harry shuddered at the thought of the Weasleys' reactions to the news.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Order of the Phoenix**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

It was dark by the time Harry left the castle and wandered out onto the grounds. Saire was wrapped around his chest, as per usual, and from his deductions was fast asleep. His other Familiar was with Albus at the new Order headquarters.

Harry paused in a dark alcove of the castle, glancing around him to make sure that he wasn't being watched before casting a glamour over himself. Conjuring a mirror, he double-checked his new appearance. He looked just like he did before he was pulled back to the Founders.

He banished the mirror and smirked as he slid out of Hogwarts wards.

Harry had always found the ability of sliding fascinating and terribly handy. For one it was silent, unlike apperation, and no sort of anit-apperation wards could stop a Founders' Heir when they slid.

Harry followed Albus' magical signature to his location, but didn't let go of his magic, and therefore he remained in the shadowy realm of sliding. Looking around, Harry found himself in a large gathering hall which at one time may have been a grand sight but was clearly unused and had fallen into disarray. It didn't seem to bother the gathering of Order members, however.

Harry recognized many of the faces in the hall, though had a hard time putting names to some of them. The Weasley's were easy to spot, and unless he missed one, seemed to be in near full attendance. The only missing redheads were Ron, Ginny and Percy. Harry cringed slightly. Molly was going to be a handful when she found out who he was. Harry slid himself over to the other side of the room, hoping that a little distance might dampen her reaction a little, though he doubted it.

He remained half in and half out of the slide as he watched the Order settle down and Albus begin the meeting. Cin was curled up at the man's side, and received no few odd looks from the various members around the hall. Harry moved to a position behind Albus' shoulder, and waited until most of the people in the hall didn't have their direct attention at the old man.

Harry let his hold of the slide loosen.

To the few who saw him, he seemed to have appeared out of mid air, slightly transparent and very ghost like. Couple that with his glamour, then many would think he was the ghost of Harry Potter appearing before them.

He heard a sharp gasp from the direction of the Weasley clan, though it could have been one of the others sitting near them, before he retook a solid hold of his magic and moved further back into the slide, disappearing from view. Harry watched in amusement as whispers broke out from those who saw him, and a few fingers were pointed in his direction.

Albus, of course, continued on as if nothing at all was amiss.

Harry slid around the room, and seated himself in an empty chair in between Charlie and a man he didn't know. He again loosened his hold, staring around the room with a blank face.

"Harry!"

He couldn't hold in the small smirk when he saw Tonks topple out of her chair, her hair turning three shades of orange in the process. He quickly took hold of the slide again before he could no longer hold in his mirth.

Charlie was staring at the chair next to him and hesitantly passed a hand through the space above the seat. Harry slid around the room again, smirking widely.

No one was paying Albus any attention anymore, which the old man noticed, and Harry laughed outright as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth and just sat back to watch everyone.

Harry slid into view again, this time right between the Weasley twins, who were surprised, to say the least. He was unable, however, to keep the smirk from his face as the twins stared at him, their mouths gaping. He had never seen Fred and George speechless before. It was quite the compliment.

"Elddir!" Harry turned to look at Moody, not bothering to move from his semi-transparent position between the twins. The man's magical eye was staring at him, and most likely, right through the glamour. Harry smirked at him before disappearing again.

"That was Harry?" Molly said faintly, staring at the spot between her sons. "But I…he…"

"Don't worry yourself, Molly." Moody growled. "The whelp is only playing tricks."

Harry watched in a mixture of amusement and sadness as Molly stared at Mad-Eye, and Moody's magical eye twirled around in his head, no doubt looking for him.

"Come out, Elddir." Moody growled.

"What if I don't want to?" Harry whispered in the man's ear as he became visible to them again. Moody spun violently, his wand appearing in his hand and pointed at Harry in seconds. Harry was impressed. The man was fast.

"Stupify!" Moody growled.

Harry stepped to the side, the spell whipping past his side to crash into the wall behind him.

"You have to be quicker than that, Mad-Eye." He said with a smirk. He hadn't anticipated having to dodge spells, but he wasn't about to pass down a chance to hex the man. He was still a little sore that the old Auror had been so suspicious of him.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted." Moody said darkly.

Harry sighed and threw his arms up over his head in exasperation. The man still thought he was a Death Eater.

"You're one suspicious bastard, you know that." He said with false cheer. The man was bloody paranoid.

"And a good thing, too." Moody said, throwing another spell at him. Harry slid across the room, feeling the crackle of Moody's spell just as he disappeared.

Harry stepped out of the slide on the opposite side of the room, though no one appeared to have seen him. He was no longer transparent to the others, effectively ending his little prank, but he couldn't easily cast spells when he was partially within a slide, and if Moody insisted on being a right bastard, then Harry wasn't about to sit idly by.

He suddenly felt the tip of a wand pointed at his neck. He tensed, but didn't react. He knew who it was, and while he didn't fully trust the man, he doubted that Snape would kill him.

"What are you playing at, Apprentice?" he said. Harry could hear the sneer the man was no doubt wearing as he pressed the wand harder. Moody spun around, and flung a curse at them. Harry side-stepped it, pushing Snape to the side as well, though he didn't retaliate, and didn't move away from the wand at his neck. The entire Order was staring between the three and Albus with a great mixture of expressions. Harry did notice, however, that Remus was smirking.

"Finite Incantatem." Snape hissed.

Harry shook himself out slightly as the weight of the glamour faded and Snape's wand left his neck. A quick glance at his Master showed him that Snape was glaring at him and his eyes seemed to promise him much pain. Harry averted his eyes, deciding to deal with whatever Snape doled out at him when it came.

"Darion?" Arthur said. The shock in his voice mirrored what the others' faced showed. Harry smirked slightly and addressed Remus.

"It was pretty good, yea?"

"Marauder worthy, Harry." Remus said with a hint of pride.

"It would have worked better if Moody hadn't started flinging spells at me." He said with a sniff.

"You can't possibly trust him." Moody snarled, his wand still aimed at Harry.

Harry looked at him coldly. The man was adept at ruining a good mood. He had hoped that the old Auror would have given up on his misplaced suspicions, but apparently not.

"You're beginning to get on my nerves again, Moody." He said.

"I don't trust you."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"What?"

"I want to know why you don't trust me." Harry asked again. "You used to."

"You are not Potter!" Moody growled.

"Of course I am! Just because I no longer look like the naïve little runt I used to be, doesn't mean I'm not who I am!"

"Prove it!"

"How can I possibly prove something to someone who doesn't listen to anything but his own paranoia?" Harry hissed.

"You're dark!" Moody growled. "I won't let you infiltrate this Order."

Harry sidestepped the curse flung at him, but still didn't retaliate, however much his hands itched to do so.

"You know, I had no intentions of duking it out with you, Moody." Harry said, dodging another curse. "But if you insist on dueling, then I will have to insist you allow me to use my full arsenal."

"Is that necessary?" Albus interjected.

"Fine, whelp." Moody growled out between spells, "You are welcome to try your best."

Harry ducked a particularly nasty curse. "Very well, Mad-Eye." He said with a vicious smirk. "Everyone else should move aside." He said, casting a strong barrier around himself and Moody. The barrier shimmered as it expanded, forcing the other Order members to the sides of the room.

"I will give you one chance to step down, Alastor Moody." Harry said.

"Convello!"

Harry's eyes widened at the curse barreling towards him. "Expiotus!" he said, breathing a soft sigh of relief as the shield blocked Moody's curse. It would have shattered his bones if it had hit him. He sent a glare towards the old Auror as he let his shield fall.

"And you say I'm dark?" Harry said, "That's a classified dark arts spell by the Ministry."

"I'm an Auror." Moody growled.

"Ex-Auror." Harry mumbled. "And what does that have to do with anything, anyways?"

"Aurors are exempt from the restrictions against the Dark Arts, though few choose to, nor have the talent, to use them."

"Well, that figures." Harry harrumphed. "Just what I need, a trigger happy paranoid Auror hell bent on getting me dead." He mumbled as he ducked a nasty yellow spell.

Harry stretched his hand out towards the man, "Puriga!"

"An itching hex, whelp?" Moody snarled, "I expected your full arsenal."

"You wouldn't survive my full arsenal." Harry said neutrally.

"I doubt that." Moody said, sending a barrage of spells at him.

Harry managed to dodge two and block another but the dark violet light of the Paveris Hex struck him square in the chest. His body trembled under the force of the spell, and he could already feel the overwhelming sensation of fear building in his gut. It was a nasty curse, designed to take the effects of the fear of the victim's worst nightmare and multiply it. Harry rather thought it resembled the emotions generated by the crossing of a Boggart and a Dementer. It was decidedly unpleasant. It was also one of Salazar's favorites.

Harry ignored his body's trembling, and stared back at Moody darkly. A large portion of the man's chosen spells were borderline Dark, and it was getting on his nerves.

"You should know," Harry said coldly, "That I was trained by all four of the Founders. Do you really think that they would allow my fear to control me, or even hinder me?"

"We shall see, boy." Moody said. "How long before you succumb to your own fears?"

"I have asked you repeatedly not to call me 'boy'." Harry snarled.

"Obscuro!"

Harry didn't bother to block or dodge the spell. He let it come, and only staggered slightly as the force of the curse crashed into him. His vision quickly dimmed and was gone within seconds.

"ss,Crinita Draconibus!,ss" Harry hissed, flinging the spell directly at the man. His aim wasn't off, as he knew it wouldn't be. The loss of his sight wasn't a great hindrance to him, as Snape and Karkaroff had learned first hand earlier.

He soon heard the effects of his spell, and the shocked gasps of the others present.

"ss,Scare him,ss" Harry ordered the mass of serpents. He immediately heard the collective hissing of dozens of snakes.

"Finite Incantatem." He waved his hand in front of his face, blinking slightly as the spell faded and his vision returned. He was greeted with the sight of Mad-Eye batting away the snakes that hovered around his face. It would do him no good. The spell caused about two dozen snakes to grow out of the recipient's own scalp. Moody could bat at the snakes all he wanted, but they weren't going anywhere, they were attached to his head.

"The Medusa Charm." Harry said, inspecting the snakes. They looked different on every person. As far as Harry could tell, they seemed to reflect the host's personality, or magic. The ones growing out of Moody's head were a particularly ugly breed, sporting brown scales and a mixing of red and orange stripes that had no discernable pattern.

"They are poisonous, you know." Harry said calmly, despite his body's increasing tremors from the earlier fear curse. That curse couldn't be waved away by a simply spell. It required a dedicated counter-potion, which is what made it so effective. Few wizards typically carried the cure around with them. Unfortunately, despite his own vast stores, Harry didn't normally carry it either.

"I should let them have you." Harry continued in the same cool tone. Moody had ceased batting at the snakes, as none had yet bitten or harmed him. They simply hovered around his face, hissing and spitting at him.

"Their lives depend on mine." Moody said, "They won't harm me."

"You're wrong." Harry said, "Once the body of their host dies, they are freed into the world. It would be in their best interest to kill you."

"Liar!"

"Do you want to test it?" Harry asked, slightly curious. "ss,One, bite him. Don't kill him,ss."

Moody's good eye widened as the snakes all struck at his face. Only one of them bit him, however. The man jumped as the snake retreated, hissing menacingly at him, inches from his good eye. Two small drops of blood beaded on his cheek and trailed down to his chin.

"They will not hesitate." Harry said, slightly curious how the man would react.

Moody didn't respond, his magical eye whirring around in its socket, while his good eye alternated between the hovering snake and the youth standing over him. Harry sucked in a gasp as particularly nasty tremor ran up his spine. The fear curse was steadily becoming stronger as it fed off of his own nightmares and magic.

"How much longer, Apprentice?" Moody sneered, having seen his shaking.

"Expelliarmus." Harry ignored the comment and waved a hand over the man, catching his wand easily. He looked at the wand for a moment, debating on breaking it, but decided against it. The man was being a right bloody bastard to him, but he was against Voldemort either way, and a great wand was hard to come by. Moody would need it later, against the Death Eaters. Harry let his hand drop to his side, loosely holding the wand as he turned back to Moody.

"You have a rather nasty arsenal of curses, Mad-Eye." Harry commented as he studied the man. "Are you through with testing them on me?"

Moody snarled at him. Harry merely looked back at him without a trace of emotion on his face. He was tired of the man's suspicions.

"ss,May I bite him, Shay?,ss" Saire hissed, curling her head around his neck and staring down at Moody hungrily.

"ss,No, Saire,ss"

"ss,Are you sure, Shay?,ss"

Harry nodded and Saire subsided, resting her head on his shoulder, but she didn't take her eyes from the man, and seemed intrigued by the mass of snakes growing from his head. Harry waved his hand and took down the barrier separating them from the Order, suppressing another wave of shudders that wracked his body. He took a deep breath as the Order seemed to surge towards him. He wouldn't allow the Paveris Hex to get a hold on him. Once it did, he would begin to hallucinate and would steadily go insane.

"Darion?" Albus asked, his voice concerned.

"I'm fine, Albus." Harry said, his eyes still on Moody. He knew the man carried a second wand, and an assortment of weapons, though he didn't seem to be about to draw any of them.

"Do you have the counter potion?" Albus asked.

"No."

"Severus?" Albus turned to the Potions Master.

"Not in a completed form."

"I'm fine, Albus." Harry said, looking his old friend in the eye. "Salazar taught me well."

Albus studied him for a moment before nodding, and Harry returned his gaze to the old Auror.

"ss,Leave him, but do not kill him,ss" Harry hissed to the ugly snakes. Moody shuddered as the mass of serpents slithered out of his scull. Harry knew that it was an odd sensation. Salazar had hit him with that curse at one point, and Harry wasn't all too pleased by it.

"You should be grateful, Moody." Harry said conversationally, "That I am a Parselmouth, and that I don't want to kill you, otherwise you would be dead. Those snakes may have been created by my magic, but they feed off of yours."

"What do you mean, Darion?" Remus asked, watching the snakes grow longer with apparent fascination.

"Moody was right when he said that the snakes rely on his magic, but he was wrong when he said that they wouldn't harm him." Harry said, "Normally, they wouldn't, and they would grow with time, unless someone managed to banish them, though I doubt more than a few in the world would know how. They would remain until their host died and their source of food was gone, then they would venture out into the world on their own. However, as I am a Parseltongue, I can ask them to leave." Harry paused as a tremor racked his frame, and he took in a deep breath to steady himself. Moody was too busy staring at the growing snakes around his head to throw a comment at him.

"Now, in order to leave his head, the snakes have to complete their tail ends. Since they are no longer connected to me, they have to pull on the magic of their host to create the rest of their bodies. The snakes will pull on his magic, growing in length as the magic feeds them, until the magic is dried up and they leave his body."

"It'll kill him?" Charlie asked, staring at the sight before them. The snakes were nearly a meter in length, and Moody was swaying on his feet, clearly becoming light headed.

"Normally it would." Harry said, and winced as Moody crashed to the floor. "The snakes would drain his magic, and his system would go into shock and he would die."

Harry blinked as the Order all stared at him in shock. He shrugged. "Don't worry, I asked them not to kill him. He'll live, though his magic will be drained to a very low point, and he'll be a bit weak for a few days."

Harry returned his gaze to the old Auror. The snakes had reached a length somewhere past a meter and began to detach themselves from the man's head. Harry watched dispassionately as they slithered across the floor and out the door.

"I'm a bit impressed, Moody." Harry commented, "They reached a respectable length from your magic."

"Where are they going?" Arthur asked.

"Outside, no doubt." Harry said, staring at Moody. As the last of the serpents left his head, Moody raised his eyes to stare back at him. His magical eye rolled around in its socket for a moment before fixing itself steadily on him. Harry took another deep breath, still fighting the effects of the fear curse. After the worst of the tremor passed Harry handed the man back his wand. Moody eyed him for a moment, but snatched it out of his hand quick enough.

"He's dark, Albus." Moody said, his magical eye fixed on Harry. "I can see it, lingering beneath the surface."

Harry felt his eyes widen slightly, though otherwise he showed no reaction. He had no idea that Moody's magical eye would be able to see so deeply. No wonder the man was suspicious of him.

"I know, Alastor." Albus said in a soft voice. "However, I trust Darion with my life, and I would trust him with much more."

Moody subsided, though continued to glare at him while he tucked his wand away. Harry returned the man's look steadily, though with a hint of wariness. The man's magical eye saw more than he expected and that unnerved him.

"Wait a minute, Darion is Harry?" Molly's voice broke the silence.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	30. Molly, Fear and Batman

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"He's dark, Albus." Moody said, his magical eye fixed on Harry. "I can see it, lingering beneath the surface."

Harry felt his eyes widen slightly, though otherwise he showed no reaction. He had no idea that Moody's magical eye would be able to see so deeply. No wonder the man was suspicious of him.

"I know, Alastor." Albus said in a soft voice. "However, I trust Darion with my life, and I would trust him with much more."

Moody subsided, though he continued to glare at him while he tucked his wand away. Harry returned the man's look steadily, though with a hint of wariness. The man's magical eye saw more than he expected and that unnerved him.

"Wait a minute, Darion is Harry?" Molly's voice broke the silence.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Molly, Fear and Batman**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry cringed slightly at Molly's voice. Moody he could handle, but a raging Weasley Matriarch was not something he had been trained to face. He had seldom had a motherly figure turn her attentions to him, but the few times he had been on the receiving end of a parental lecture had left him with greatly mixed feelings.

With a final look at Moody, who appeared to be fighting to stay conscious, Harry sent a glance over towards Molly, trying to assess the woman's mood. If his luck was on par, she wasn't going to be too happy with him.

She wasn't.

Her face and voice may have held shock and relief, but her eyes told him a far different tale. The woman was _not_ terribly pleased with him. Like it was all his fault, anyways.

"Ah, hello, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, feeling more nervous than he had since he found out Salazar Slytherin was to be his primary teacher. He watched in trepidation as the woman seemed to swell and gather herself up like some sort of storm about to be set loose. He had a sinking feeling that he was going to get the brunt end of very stern lecture.

"Harry James Potter!" Harry inwardly winced. "You scared us all half to death! We thought you had died, or worse! You could have been caught by Death Eaters for all we knew! No note, no letter; just gone! And then you show up and not even tell us! How long have you been here? Where did you go! Why didn't you…"

Harry gasped sharply as a strong wave of fear and pain passed over him, cutting Molly off mid-rant, however little he noticed her sudden silence. The Paveris Hex was feeding off his own magic and fears and was beginning to grow troublesome. He needed to get the antidote before he was no longer able to function.

"Harry?" Molly asked, suddenly concerned. Any trace of anger or indignation was gone.

"Darion, are you alright?" Albus asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Harry nodded, straightening himself and taking a deep breath.

"How much longer?" Snape asked.

Harry shrugged, "A few hours."

"To what point?" Snape growled. Harry glanced over at him, a little shocked at the man's slight concern, though he doubted any one else would be able to see the minute trace of emotion in the man's eyes.

"Until I'm no longer able to move my physical body." Harry said coldly. "My senses will become muddled, and I won't be able to control my limbs. My heart rate will be erratic, and I'll begin to have trouble breathing. The shaking and tremors will be constant. Within an hour after that I'll begin to loose control of my mind. My Occlumency will start to fail, and I'll begin to hallucinate. Shortly after I'll no longer be able to break from the curse and I'll go insane. At that point I'll be completely lost within my own nightmares. The Paveris Hex is like a twisted mixing of the effects generated by a Dementer and a Boggart."

The Order stared at him with a variety of emotions, ranging from shocked to horrified. Though Molly looked like a mixture of the two, which just about translated to pissed off in her case. Harry watched in muted fascination as the Weasley woman turned her anger onto Moody, who unfortunately for him, was still awake and lucid.

"Alastor!" she shrieked, waving her wand around threateningly, "How could you do that! That's horrific!"

Moody shrank away from her as the woman's wand spat out a rain of angry orange sparks that came dangerously close to his nose. The few that landed on his shirt sizzled as they made contact. Harry raised an eyebrow at that. The woman was dangerous when mad. He rather thought she was a lot like Rowena in that regard.

Harry watched her for a moment, quite happy that she was distracted from him. As much as he appreciated her concern he wasn't terribly fond of being berated, especially for something that was beyond his control. At least her focus had been shifted off of him, saving him the trouble of trying to figure out how to react to her. With a final faint smirk at the scene before him he turned to face Albus.

"You'll have to fill them in, Bill." He said, wincing slightly as another tremor passed over his spine, "I have a potion to make."

"Of course, Darion." Albus said, jovially. Harry gave the old man a side-ways glance. He seemed far too pleased at the prospect.

"Do behave." Harry smirked, knowing full well that Albus would not.

"You know me, Darion." Albus said, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

"That I do." Harry said, still smirking.

"Travel well, and do be careful."

Harry nodded and prepared to slide back to Hogwarts. A firm hand on his shoulder, however, prevented him from leaving. A quick glance behind him proved that his suspicions were correct; it was Snape.

"Master Snape." Harry said politely.

"Apprentice. Are you capable of brewing the required potion?"

"Quite."

"Indeed?"

Harry met the man's eyes for a moment. "Salazar taught this one to me, Professor, while I was under the very curse I am now."

Snape sneered slightly, though he made no comment. Harry wasn't exactly sure what about his statement bothered the man, but he put it aside as just the way Snape was and tended to react to him.

"I'll not have you running loose in my lab." Snape said.

"Very well." Harry countered, seeing the comment as the request it was, "Then you come with me." Harry sent a wave over to Remus, who was talking to Tonks and watching the still unfolding scene between Molly and the cringing Ex-Auror with obvious amusement. Returning his gaze to his Master, Harry slid both of them away from the manor before the man had a chance to even sneer at him.

It didn't stop the man from sneering once they had arrived in the middle of his private lab, however.

"It's called Sliding." Harry offered neutrally, hoping to stem off any caustic comments. "It is one of the gifts of a Founders' Heir. It was how I appeared to be translucent before the Order."

Snape sniffed slightly, and turned away from him. Harry trailed after the man into the vast storeroom, suppressing another rising tremor as he walked.

"Is the Dark Lord capable of the skill?" Snape asked, plucking a jar from a shelf.

"Not anymore." Harry began eyeing a particularly nasty specimen he couldn't actually identify, but he suspected it was some creature's stomach; or perhaps a lung.

"But he is aware of it?"

"He was an Heir, Severus." Harry said, turning to face the man. Snape shot him a look at the use of his given name, but Harry ignored him. The man had given him permission, after all. "He gained the Heir-specific skills just like the rest of us, and mastered them quicker than most. I suspect that he has lost the abilities of all of them by this point."

"You suspect…" Snape said.

Harry nodded, choosing not to comment on the man's tone. "He lost his status as an Heir when he murdered his father in cold blood. While this would make him loose the various Heir-skills, he was a powerful wizard and was most likely able to access some if not all of them with a certain amount of power and will. When he tried to kill me when I was an infant, and failed, he lost his body. This would have cut him from the last of the abilities granted to the Heirs." Harry cocked his head to the side in thought. "Actually, it is just as likely that he survived that night because he was an Heir as much as his various experimental forays into immortality."

"And he cannot access them now?"

"It is very unlikely." Harry said, raising a hand to stop Snape's next words. "The skills that are given to the us are strongly linked to our physical selves, most notably, but not limited to, our blood rather than our magic or soul. Voldemort lost his body, thus his blood, when he tried to kill me as an infant."

"He received your blood when he was resurrected." Snape pointed out.

"Yes, but I was not an Heir then." Harry said simply.

Snape stared at him intently, and Harry let him for a moment before picking up a collection of the various jars and packages Snape had set aside and turned to the lab proper. Snape followed him out, which was just as well as Harry barely laid his arm load onto a worktable before his muscles spasmed sharply. He gasped, gripping the table as his body trembled under the force of the curse.

Once the worst of the spell past and he was able to focus on his surroundings beyond what his hands had grappled onto and how close his head was to slamming into a rather solid looking table, he noticed that Snape had a firm hold on his elbow. No doubt it was in attempt to prevent him from being knocked out or collapsing to the floor.

"That man can cast one doosey of a spell." Harry mumbled darkly. Snape snorted in restrained amusement, though Harry wasn't in the mood to appreciate the rare display of humor from the man.

Harry took a deep breath, steadying his nerves and gave a small nod to Snape. The man released him, but seemed to keep an eye on him as Harry began to rearrange the jars before him. Saire slithered around in his shirt and poked her head out near his neck, tickling him with her tongue.

"ss,Shay, you are afraid,ss" she hissed in his ear. He suppressed the urge to stick his finger in his ear to try to erase the sensation of her tongue.

"ss,Yes, Saire, but it is not real fear,ss" he responded. He saw Snape watching him from the corner of his eye, but didn't pay the man much attention.

"ss,I sense no difference,ss"

"ss,This fear is made by magic,ss" Harry told her, "ss,It is not true fear, though it feels real,ss"

The Cobra bobbed her head in understanding and Harry pulled her gently from his shirt to lay her on a corner table. He shed his robe as well, and once it was left in a haphazard pile on the table, Saire promptly disappeared within it. Harry smiled at the sight for a moment before returning to the worktable.

He had to pause as a tremor racked his frame, but he let his muscles spasm in favor of paying more attention to his mind and the fear that was threatening to grow there. The spell caused extreme fear, and he could fight it, but it used up large amounts of effort in order to do so. As the fear grew in the pit of his stomach, his mind would begin to think it was real. Therein lied the real problem. As he fought against the spell the fear was denied and his body interpreted it as pain. However well he denied the fear, though, he couldn't deny his own nightmares, which were fighting for attention in his mind.

"Sit, Potter."

"Pardon?"

"I said, sit." Snape ordered, "I will not have you wasting my ingredients and risking my lab because you can't manage to dodge a spell."

"I dodged the first three." Harry said a bit petulantly.

"You let him hit you with a Paveris Hex and a Blinding Hex, Apprentice." Snape said, "That is not very impressive stats for a five minute duel with an old man."

"I can fight blind as well as I can with my eyes, as you well know." Harry pointed out with a smirk, "Besides, Moody was an Auror, and is more paranoid than you and Salazar put together."

"Sit, Apprentice!" Snape snarled. Harry ceased his preparations and turned a dark gaze over to his Master. He was not used to sitting by and watching someone else prepare a required potion for him. All four of the Founders had the habit of making their students do everything for themselves. Helga making Harry heal his own wounds was a classic example of their mutual teaching policy.

"I am perfectly capable of brewing this potion, Master Snape." Harry said, trying to keep the coldness from his voice. "I have done more complex processes under worse circumstances. Salazar made sure of it."

Snape looked at him with barely contained unbelief, which rankled Harry, much as he tried to ignore it. He was trained to take care of himself, and he was trained well. Harry returned to the preparations before him, generally ignoring the man next to him.

"Fear can be an excellent motivator." Harry said softly. "And currently I have it in abundance."

"Indeed."

Harry paused in his preparations to glance at the other man. Snape was no longer looking at him with disbelief, but Harry rather thought that the man didn't completely believe him either. Harry, however, wasn't about to reveal exactly how familiar he was to the effects of fear and its possibilities for motivation. Snape simply needed to understand that Darion Elddir was not the naïve little Gryffindor that Harry Potter was, and that he knew well how to take care of himself in extreme circumstances. He turned back to the worktable in front of him, studying the various ingredients laid out on the stone surface.

"But it is not the only motivator. Voldemort learned these lessons the same as I did, but he placed more stock in fear than me." Harry glanced over towards Snape to see the man staring at him with a dark intensity. "Tom learned the best when motivated by fear. Now he uses it to 'motivate' his Death Eaters."

"He was not always…" Snape began but shook his head and turned away. Harry watched as he attacked the Hornroot with a fierce vengeance. He knew what the man had been about to say.

"Yes, I know." Harry said, returning his attention to the supplies before him.

"You couldn't possibly…" Snape snarled. Harry cut him off.

"I couldn't? I knew him as Voldemort long before I met him as Tom Riddle, a Founders' Heir. I knew him as a youth even when I knew that when he became an adult he would murder my parents, and that I was to stop him." Harry paused as the curse sent another tremor through his body, but turned his intense gaze towards Snape before the man could say anything. "I knew him as a youth, I _liked_ him on the rare occasions that I could forget that he was already becoming Lord Voldemort. I knew him then, Severus, and you tell me that I couldn't know? I know that he was not always as he is now. I _know_."

Snape stared at him, his face a blank mask, but Harry could see the faint traces of emotions swirling in his eyes.

"Very well, Apprentice."

Harry watched the man return to his preparations. He knew that Snape didn't fully understand him, but the situation was equal both ways. Harry had never served another man in the way that Snape had done with Voldemort, whether willingly or not. And Snape had never had to face the youth of the man who would murder his parents, and be unable to prevent it. Harry had struggled with the knowledge he held of Tom Riddle's future as Voldemort as he saw and interacted with the boy on a near daily basis. It had not been easy.

He shook his head slightly and returned his attention to the worktable. There was no use dwelling on the intricacies of his situation as a Founders' Heir.

oooOoooOoooOooo

It was near midnight before the potion was completed. By the time the last stage was finished, Harry was constantly trembling and felt as if he had just run a marathon. A rising headache was not helping him either, and merely caused him to be short-tempered and slightly acerbic. Rowena would have said that he was spending too much time with Salazar.

"Eleven minutes, Apprentice." Snape said, setting the hot cauldron to the side to cool.

Harry nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak. He wasn't sure that Snape would appreciate the tone and Harry really didn't feel like getting into a verbal spar with the man.

There was a knock on the door, but Harry ignored it in favor of gripping the edge of the table to prevent his body from collapsing to the floor. His own personal fears and nightmares were strong, and had invaded his mind some time past, however well he fought against them. He was more concerned with keeping his Occlumency shields strong than controlling the trembling in his body.

"Merlin, Elddir!" a voice broke into his thoughts, "What happened to you?"

Harry swung his head up and around to take in the owner of the voice, which sounded abnormally loud to his sensitive ears. Draco stood near the door, and was staring at him in shock. No doubt due to the sever shaking of his body.

"Paveris." Harry ground out, letting his head drop back between his hanging shoulders.

"Paveris?" Draco said, fully entering the lab, "The Paveris Hex?"

Harry nodded.

"Who…"

"Moody." Harry said.

"What?"

"Moody was testing my skills, again."

"How long ago was it?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged as he heard Snape answer for him. "It's been near three and a half hours."

"And you're still lucid?"

Harry looked at Draco out of the corner of his eye. The boy looked astonished, to say the least. A nudge at his leg caused him to let his head fall again. A pair of yellow eyes stared up at him, though it took a moment for his mind to acknowledge that they belonged to his Griffin Familiar.

"Cin." Harry greeted as the cub curled his body around his feet.

"Apprentice." Harry grunted to let the man know that he heard him. "How far along is it?"

"What, you can't tell?" Harry said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"You look as if you're suffering from a fever." Draco said.

"I am unconcerned with how you look," Snape snapped, "I want to know the condition of the mass between your ears."

"I didn't know you cared." Harry whispered, then louder, "Oh I'm fine, just enjoying a reenactment of some of my more…savory…nightmares is all."

"And your shields?" Snape prompted, apparently choosing to let his tone pass.

Harry raised his head enough to send Snape a wicked smirk, which caused the man to raise an eyebrow at him and Draco to step away from him wide-eyed. "I've made them into a two-way mirror, and am cheerfully sending my happy dreams off to Tom while keeping Him out of my head. I'm sure he's enjoying himself, they're just his cup of tea. Why, he even gave me a few of them, himself."

Snape stared at him, for once bereft of his usual mask, and Harry had enough sense of mind to realize that the man was trying not to laugh, and that he was too ornery to enjoy the sight. At least Draco seemed to enjoying it well enough, though the boy kept sending confused looks between the two. Harry really couldn't bring himself to try to explain anything to the young Malfoy, however.

"Moody hit you with the Paveris Hex?" Draco asked.

"No," Snape said acidly, "Moody cast the curse, and the boy let himself get hit by it."

Harry snarled at him half heartedly, his mood starting to get the better of him. "I'd like to see you do better, Batman."

He heard Snape growl behind Malfoy's question, "Batman?"

Harry waved a hand nonchalantly towards the Potions Master before clamping it back down onto the table. "Don't tell me he doesn't remind you of a bat the way he stalks around the halls."

"Well…" Draco started then seemed to have thought better of what he was going to say when he caught site of Snape's darkening face.

Harry looked up long enough to take in the uncertain face of Draco alongside the scowling face of his Master.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of Batman." Harry said, glad for the temporary distraction from the spell's effects, even if he was guaranteed later trouble from Snape for comparing him to a Muggle comic character.

Draco shook his head negatively, still cautious of Snape's dark mood.

"Batman is a Muggle superhero. He wears all black with a cape that tends to billow around behind him as he stalks the villains in the night, saving the city from evil and so on and so forth," Harry said in between gasps for breath, yet the mocking drama laced into his words was still obvious, "Most Muggle-borns would have at least heard of him, and it's a common comparison for you, though I doubt anyone had the guts to let you in on it."

Harry watched Snape's face lose some of its death-promising darkness, though the man still didn't look too pleased. Harry wasn't surprised in the least.

"You should take it as a compliment." Harry pointed out, letting his head hang back between his shoulders again. He could barely hold himself up after three hours of the spell's effects. He groaned as a particularly nasty shudder traveled up his spine and down again. His muscles were going to be sore for days.

A glass was placed on the table under his nose, and it took him a moment to regain control of his eyes in order to see that it was the potion he had been waiting for. A few moments later he finally managed to regain control of his motor skills and was able to pick the glass up and drain its contents down his throat.

The fowl taste of the potion preceded its more internal effects, of which weren't fowl in the least. Harry felt the lessoning of the power of the Paveris Hex almost immediately, and gasped as spell's effects dissipated, leaving only a sever aching in his muscles and a pounding headache.

"Bloody hell, I hate that Curse." Harry said, letting himself lean on the table wearily. Cin shifted from his feet and climbed up to his shoulders. Harry barely felt the Griffin's sharp claws scratch through his shirt. It was a minor pain compared to the hex's last hour of torment.

"Draco, wait here." Snape said, taking Harry's arm in a sturdy grip and leading him away from the table. Harry let the man guide him across the lab, but made him pause next to the table where Saire was still dozing within his robes. Once he had collected his Familiar he followed Snape into their private chambers and collapsed bonelessly onto his bed.

Cin squawked indignantly at the jolt and pranced around on his back with his claws in retaliation. Harry merely grunted, far too tired to bother shooing the pest off him.

"There is a Hogsmeade weekend tomorrow, if you'll recall." Snape's voice broke through his fuzzy awareness.

Harry grunted, but didn't respond.

"You are to be present in the village."

"Yea." Harry waved a hand nonchalantly, hoping that the man would leave him alone so he could pass out. Luckily, Snape left, slamming the door shut in his wake.

"Think he's a little sore about the Batman comment, Cin?" Harry asked the cub with a smirk.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	31. Hogsmeade and Ron

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"There is a Hogsmeade weekend tomorrow, if you'll recall." Snape's voice broke through his fuzzy awareness.

Harry grunted, but didn't respond.

"You are to be present in the village."

"Yea." Harry waved a hand nonchalantly, hoping that the man would leave him alone so he could pass out. Luckily, Snape left, slamming the door shut in his wake.

"Think he's a little sore about the Batman comment, Cin?" Harry asked the cub with a smirk.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Hogsmeade and Ron**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Seven am found Harry wandering some of the less traversed halls of the castle in an attempt to avoid his not-so-pleased Master. Snape had barged into the training room not two hours before in a worse mood than Harry, who was in the chamber at the time. Neither had apparently slept well – Harry had trouble with the nightmares the Paveris Hex had unburied – and the ensuing argument was explosive at best and possibly life-threatening at its worse. By the time Harry had escaped the dungeons not a few spells had been flung between them along with the usual biting insults upon their character, ancestors and general existence.

Neither had left the others' company in a better mood, though Harry couldn't help but feel some trace of satisfaction that he had got the last spell in before sliding out of the dungeons completely.

A foreign image of the Great Hall, or rather a food-laden table in the Great Hall, interrupted his musings. Harry chuckled.

"Hungry, Cin?" he said, scratching the cub's chin. The Griffin nodded and purred at the attention as Harry changed his course to take them to breakfast.

Harry entered the Great Hall cautiously until he was sure that Snape wasn't yet present. Although any caution on his part was a rather moot point as Cin bounded through the doors and across the Hall before Harry had even scanned the entire room. He trailed after his familiar with amusement and settled at the end of one of the school tables, where there was ample room for the beast to feed. Harry grimaced slightly as the Griffin dug into his food before turning away from the sight to fill his own plate.

That was, of course, when he noticed exactly who he had managed to sit next to.

"Morning, Hermione." He greeted, eyeing the group of his old school friends.

"Good morning, Darion." Hermione said from around her book. She was, as usual, trying to read while she ate, and had apparently mastered the skill. Across from her Ginny was watching her brother in undisguised disgust as the boy shoveled food into his mouth at an astonishing rate. Harry's attention was drawn to the boy as well, and watched him for a moment.

"Wow." Harry said, staring at the redhead in muted awe. Ron seemed to sense his attention, since he paused in his eating to look up at him.

"What?" he said, shifting the food in his mouth so he could talk around it.

"Nothing." Harry said, still unable to take his eyes away from his old friend.

Ron swallowed, "Well, what is it?"

"I'm just amazed," Harry said, "at how similar you are to a Griffin."

Ron blinked. "Oh."

It was Harry's turn to blink as Ron shrugged and returned to inhaling his breakfast. Harry turned to look at his Familiar, to find Cin in a remarkably similar position as the youngest Weasley boy. Harry shook his head in exasperation as Ginny grumbled darkly. He rather thought he heard the words 'idiot', 'brother' and something along the lines of 'should tell mum', though he wasn't sure.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade, Darion?" Hermione asked, setting her book in her lap.

Harry dragged his eyes away from the growing byplay between the red-haired siblings with some reluctance. They were beginning to grow entertaining.

"Of course." He said.

"Great! You can come with us." Hermione said excitedly.

That decision apparently caught Ron's attention. "What?" he said, staring between him and Hermione with his mouth gaping open and showing off his last bite of breakfast.

"Honestly, Ron." Ginny said scathingly, "Don't talk when your mouth is full."

Ron spluttered, which didn't agree with his mouth full of food, and he commenced to choking and trying to cough all at the same time. Ginny scowled at him and pounded him hard on the back, making him cough even harder and turn red in the face.

Harry watched them with amusement, though he thought he hid it well.

"Really!" Hermione said, looking at Ron disapprovingly.

"I'd love to go with you, Hermione." Harry said, ignoring the spluttering cough from Ron.

"Great!" Hermione said at the same time Ron growled darkly.

"He's a Slytherin, 'mione." Ron said, his voice remarkably close to whining.

"And?" Hermione said.

"What's wrong with Slytherins?" Ginny said. Harry distinctly heard a note of warning in her tone, and if the look on her brother's face was anything to go by, he noticed it as well. It was remarkably similar to the tone the Weasley Matriarch had turned on Harry at the Order meeting. He doubted that none of the red-headed children would be able to ignore it.

"But…" Ron stared at his sister incredulously.

"But what?" Ginny said, her eyes darkening dangerously. "Not all of them are Death Eaters, and if you'll recall not all Gryffindors are saints either."

"That's entirely true, Ron." Hermione said.

"But he's Snape's lackey!" Ron said, waving his fork around in Harry's direction. Harry refrained from correcting the boy on his claim, he was far too amused by Ron's desperate attempts to argue his case against the two girls.

"He's an Apprentice, Ronald." Hermione said, slipping into lecture mode. "It is a very dignified position, especially to a Master of Professor Snape's caliber."

"It's true." Neville added from Ron's side, "Gram's always on my case to get an Apprenticeship. Says they're the proper way to learn a profession."

"Well there are other ways." Hermione said, "Such as University, but Apprenticeships are still largely in use."

"Only by the Muggle-hating, Purebloods." Ron said.

"I'm not a Pureblood." Harry offered, though Ron didn't seem to be listening to him.

"Sounds like something Malfoy would get into." Ron continued, shooting said Slytherin a nasty look across the hall.

"Really, Ron!" Hermione said.

"Get over it, Ronald!" Ginny snapped. "Slytherins aren't all bad. Actually, many of them are better than most Gryffindors I've met."

"Then you haven't met many good ones." Ron said.

"Then you're just stubborn, pig-headed and too bloody blind to look past your prejudices!" Ginny snarled as she stood up from the table and stomped away. Ron stared after her in slight shock.

"You know," Harry said thoughtfully, "That's the second time that's happened."

"Fourth, actually." Neville said. "They've been getting into this argument since school started."

"They had one over the summer holidays, too." Hermione said.

"She just won't see sense!" Ron said, returning to his food.

"I rather suspect that you're the one who needs to get his eyes checked." Harry said, though again, Ron didn't seem to hear him. Apparently the red-head had decided to ignore him. Harry wasn't too sure what he thought of that, but decided not to think too much of it. Ron was just like that.

Harry tried to return to his breakfast but a low, musical tune suddenly made it to his ears and he froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. A moment later the jolting tune increased in volume and the hall quickly quieted as it caught the students' attentions.

"Is that…Batman?"

Harry glanced to the one who spoke, recognizing a lower year Gryffindor who was a Muggle-born. Only a Muggle-born student would likely recognize the tune in the first place.

"It is Batman." Hermione said, twisting in her seat to look at the side door from which the music blared. Harry didn't dare move lest he draw attention to himself. Attention he most certainly wasn't interested in.

"ELDDIR!"

Then again, Harry doubted that any amount of hiding or ducking was going to save him if Snape was hollering that loudly.

"Uh…time to go, Cin." Harry said, peeking a glance over his shoulder at the fuming man. Snape stood just inside the doorway, his face whiter than usual and his glare more ferocious than Harry ever really remembered seeing it.

"Definitely time to go." He said.

"What did you do?" Hermione said, eyeing Snape warily. The man hadn't yet picked Harry out from the crowd of students, but it wouldn't take him long.

"Uh, he managed to surprise me this morning." Harry said, looking around him for an escape route. "So I charmed him to play a tune every time he walked through a doorway so I'd know he was there."

"You charmed him…" Hermione said a bit faintly.

"And you chose the Batman theme?" Seamus said from down the table. "Bloody brilliant."

"Yea, I thought so." Harry said a bit distractingly, eyeing the windows across the table from him.

"ELDDIR!" Snape roared again, this time with a hint of victory in his voice. So he had been spotted. Harry leapt on top of the table, managing to miss stepping in any of the serving dishes, just as a rather nasty looking spell crashed into his seat. Hermione yelped and dodged sideways, crashing into the student next to her and sending both of their breakfasts flying across the table and onto Ron.

"I'll see you guys in Hogsmeade, then." Harry said, dodging another spell.

Hermione managed to nod weakly, while keeping a wary eye on Snape's quickly approaching form.

"C'mon Cin." Harry said, much too calmly for someone running for their lives from an irate Potions Master. The Griffin leapt off the table and hovered over Ron's head, who didn't seem to pleased by the presence.

"ELDDIR!" Snape said, roaring out another spell. Harry dodged and the spell crashed through the windows, sending a rain of glass around the sill.

"That's our exit, Cin." Harry said, jumping over Ron and Neville and diving for the window. Luckily for him the Gryffindor table was close enough to the wall that he didn't have to worry over much about missing the window, and Snape had conveniently blasted a hole through the glass for him. He felt the passing tingle of a spell pass over his head as he cleared the window and began to fall down the steep side of the school.

He turned around in mid-air in time to avoid another spell from Snape, one he was particularly glad hadn't hit him, if its sickly color was any indication of its purpose. He gave a jaunty wave to his Master as he called on his animagus skills and transformed into one of his hybrid forms, sprouting wings onto his human body.

Twisting around again he stretched his wings and flew up, skimming his feet on the ground as he barrel-rolled out of the way of another incoming spell.

"ELDDIR!" Snape's bellow echoed out across the grounds, making Harry smirk as he flew out of the man's casting range.

A moment later Cin joined him, his flight a little less graceful than his own, but considering the beast shouldn't yet be able to fly, Harry was highly impressed with him. He landed easily on the road leading towards Hogwarts gates, catching Cin as the Griffin barreled into his chest.

"Well that was fun!" Harry said, letting go of the magic holding his wings to him. They slowly vanished and Cin clawed his way up around his shoulders to his usual position. Saire hissed her displeasure at the flight, but settled again quickly enough.

"Off to Hogsmeade, then." Harry said happily. He had been itching to prank Snape for days, and he had finally got the chance. The man was not going to be happy with him for a long time, but Harry rather thought that it was worth it. Besides, the proximity charm wouldn't wear off until Harry removed it.

His smirk was decidedly devious as he walked down the road towards Hogsmeade.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Hermione managed to find Harry as he continued to avoid Snape throughout the village. Luckily for Snape, though perhaps unlucky for Harry, the proximity spell was designed only to work while in the castle. Snape, however, seemed to carry around a veritable thundercloud over his head, so he wasn't too difficult to avoid.

His old school friends spotted him as he finally felt safe enough to emerge from his recent hiding place of a convenient alley way. Snape had just disappeared into the Appothecary down the road, and Harry figured he'd be distracted for a while, at least.

"That was great!" Neville said, sliding up to him with Hermione.

"He isn't going to be happy with you, you know." Hermione said disapprovingly.

Harry shrugged. "He all but asked for it."

"What exactly did he do to warrant it?" Hermione asked. Harry eyed the mixture of expressions on their faces. Hermione seemed disapproving, of course, while Neville was clearly anxious to hear the tale. Ron, though he tried to hide it, was as interested as Neville was. Harry really couldn't tell what Luna was thinking, as she was staring up into branches of the tree behind them.

"He threw a knife at me." Harry said, highly amused at their reactions. Ron no longer tried to hide his interest. "I rather suspect he was testing my reflexes, but I wasn't in the mood to be tested and he had managed to surprise me, so I put a proximity charm on him. I don't think he's too pleased to have music play every time he walks through a doorway." Harry said.

"That's a bit of an understatement, I think." Neville said.

Harry nodded, smirking. "Yes, I rather suspect it is."

Hermione shook her head at him, but didn't say anything.

"Where's Ginny?" He asked.

"She went with someone else." Hermione said, ignoring Ron's grumbling about his sister.

"I want to tell you guys something." Harry said, giving Hermione a pointed look. He guided the group back into the shaded space between two of the buildings, under the tree Luna was still staring up into, and cast a few privacy spells around them.

He watched them all for a minute, not missing Ron's mistrust or Neville's slight nervousness. He had no idea how they would react to discovering that he was Harry Potter. And really, the hard part was going to be actually telling them. It was easy to just let Hermione find out without him ever having to actually say the words. He would have liked Ginny to be present, but he rather suspected that she was in the village with a guy-friend, and if the way she was acting was any proof, he was a Slytherin.

Harry took a deep breath, looking at Hermione. It was easier to say it to her directly, she already knew. He figured he'd be blunt. "I'm Harry Potter." He hadn't said those words in years.

Ron choked. Harry had no idea _what_ he choked on but he managed it spectacularly. His words even got Luna's attention, though she didn't look at all surprised nor interested in him. She was staring at Ron with apparent fascination. Harry shook his head slightly. He doubted he'd ever quite figure the girl out.

"You're a Slytherin…" Neville said a bit faintly.

Harry sighed. "Not really. I was sorted into Gryffindor as a normal student, but as a Founders' Heir I was never given a House. But that's all besides the point."

"That's impossible." Ron said a bit angrily. "You're not Harry."

"Why not?" he countered. Ron stared at him for a moment.

"You're too old."

"I spent five years with the Founders as their Heir." Harry said, "They return their Heirs to their own time with only a few days or weeks after they left it."

Ron stared at him, emotions warring for dominance over his face. Harry spread his hands in front of him.

"Ask me what you will." He said, "And I will answer."

"I don't believe you." Ron said.

"He _is_ Harry." Hermione said sternly. Ron stared at her incredulously.

"I believe him." Hermione said. "Ask him, Ron. Test him. He. Is. Harry."

Ron turned narrowed eyes back to him, his fist clenched tightly in his robe. He didn't seem to be about to ask any questions, however.

"We first met on the Hogwarts Express." Harry said a bit fondly, staring into Ron's eyes evenly. "I traded you a handful of chocolate frogs for a dry sandwich your mother made for you. Neither of us ended up eating the sandwich."

"Anyone could have known that." Ron said. Harry inclined his head in agreement.

"Sirius near broke your leg when he tried to get at Wormtail in our third year." Harry said, delving deeper into their shared secrets. "Seeing Snape blasted with three disarming hexes was terribly satisfying, however much Hermione disapproved of attacking a teacher."

Hermione huffed, but didn't say anything. Harry sent her a fond smirk.

"Your room is covered with Chuddly Cannons' posters and glaringly bright orange colors." Harry said with some amusement to Ron, who seemed to flush slightly at the statement. "Do you want more?" he asked.

"You don't have the scar." Ron said.

Of course, Harry thought. His scar was the first thing that Ron looked to when he learned that he was the Boy-Who-Lived. It was what marked him as Harry Potter to the Wizarding World. It would forever mark him as the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry sighed. "I have it still, it's just covered and hidden amongst the new ones." He brushed a fringe of his hair aside and traced his finger over the old curse scar. It lay amongst the scattering of the thin scars he had received from when the wands exploded, effectively camouflaging it from view. Ron stared hard at him, his eyes tracing the lightning shaped scar on his forehead with an intensity rarely seen from the boy. Harry was slightly impressed, but didn't dwell on it. Ron could focus himself when he so desired, as he had proved enough times through the years on their various adventures.

"It could be just coincidence." Ron said, sitting back and eyeing him with the still present mis-trust. Harry knew that the conversation would not be easy, but he had suspected a bit more yelling and arguing about why he didn't inform him of his disappearance, not trying to convince the irate Gryffindor of his identity.

"It could be." Harry conceded. "But it's not, though it is handy."

"I believe Harry." Luna said, returning her vacant stare to the tree branches above them.

"What?" Ron said, staring at her like she was mad. No doubt that fact was debatable.

"He caught the rat." Luna said. Harry blinked. He just couldn't figure the girl out, she consistently threw him for a loop nearly every time she spoke. He vaguely recalled her being aware that he had been chasing Wormtail in the halls, but he didn't realize that she would know _who_ the rat actually was.

"What rat?" Neville asked.

"Wormtail." Hermione said. "Darion was chasing him through the halls and caught him later that night."

"If he's Harry, then why do you call him Darion?" Ron asked, apparently stuck on the issue of his identity.

"Because he still goes by that name, not everyone know who he is, and for good reason." Hermione said.

"Well, more like because I just don't want to deal with the masses right now." Harry mumbled. "The whole idea of the name difference was to keep my true identity from Voldemort, but he figured it out already, so it doesn't really matter that much."

"From your scar, right?" Neville asked. Harry nodded, taking in the other boy. Neville seemed to have accepted that he was indeed Harry Potter much more easily than Ron, who was still denying the whole deal.

"Yes, we weren't sure that I would be able to hide my presence form him, despite my Occlumency shields." Harry said. "Apparently our connection runs too deep. I rather suspect it is because he used my blood in his resurrection, it strengthened our bond."

"How do you know he knows you're here?" Neville asked.

"Because I had a little chat with him at the beginning of the week." Harry said, ignoring Ron's comment about Slytherin spies that he mumbled under his breath. Ron in turn ignored Hermione's nasty glare.

"He managed to hang around the border of the school's wards and tie up Cin, which was a feat unto itself." Harry said, "So we had a little chat, a little duel and went our separate ways."

"Or something along those lines." Hermione said sarcastically. Harry shrugged. She turned to the other two boys, "He nearly got himself killed with an unhealable cutting curse, and caught Bellatrix Lestrange in the process."

"Really?" Neville asked, turning to him eagerly.

Harry nodded, recalling what the Lestranges did to Neville's parents. "Yes, though I'm not sure that she survived the encounter. She got the worst end of that hex that grazed me."

Neville nodded thoughtfully, accepting what he was told. Harry had no doubts that the boy held a secret desire to do some serious harm to the Lestranges, but he doubted that Neville would ever admit the depths of those desires aloud. He also knew that Neville would likely be perfectly happy with the knowledge that someone, anyone, got revenge on the two that tortured his parents into insanity. That Harry was the one to do so, he suspected, was better than most others. Harry had his own reasons for revenge against Bellatrix. He would, however, leave her husband to Neville alone if ever he met the man.

"I still don't trust you, Harry or not." Ron said into the silence. Harry blinked over at him, trying to decided what he felt about that statement from his once best friend.

"That's fine." He said meeting the boy's eyes. "Moody doesn't either, and for good reason." Harry held up a hand to halt whatever Ron was about to say. "But know that I am forever against Voldemort and all his allies, that I would never aid him, and that my Task as a Founders' Heir is his very destruction, and I will not fail in it."

Ron stared at him, emotions playing across his open face at a faster pace than Harry could distinguish them.

"Harry," Hermione ventured. Harry turned away from the red-head to take in Hermione's slightly worried face. "What reasons does Moody have to mis-trust you?"

Harry stared at her, weighing the pros and cons of sharing such a secret with his friends. Not even Albus was fully aware of that particular secret, though Harry suspected that he knew more than he would like for the man to. Only the Founders knew the full depth of his skills and training, and only because all four of them were needed to reach it.

Harry was saved form making the decision when a scream cut through the air.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	32. Storm

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Harry," Hermione ventured. Harry turned away from the red-head to take in Hermione's slightly worried face. "What reasons does Moody have to mis-trust you?"

Harry stared at her, weighing the pros and cons of sharing such a secret with his friends. Not even Albus was fully aware of that particular secret, though Harry suspected that he knew more than he would like for the man to. Only the Founders knew the full depth of his skills and training, and only because all four of them were needed to reach it.

Harry was saved from making the decision when a scream cut through the air.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Storm**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry made it to the entrance of the alley in time to see a disturbingly large group of Death Eaters making their way down the street, throwing spells around them as they went. Harry guessed that there was somewhere in the range of two-dozen of them.

Children and village residents alike scattered before the approaching robed wizards. Hogsmeade quickly turned into a scene of minor chaos. The screams of one tortured under what could only be Cruciatus made his eyes narrow maliciously and his magic stir within him. Saire hissed from his shirt, her scales shifting over his skin in agitation at the feel of his rising magic.

Harry quickly sought out the source of the screams. So far only one voice had been raised in the response to the Unforgivable. He found it quickly enough.

Harry would recognize the red hair of a Weasley anywhere.

Ginny was curled on the ground beneath the eaves of one of the shops, her body convulsing under the throws of the Cruciatus. It stopped though, when one of the students stepped in front of her, breaking the connection to the curse. Harry vaguely recognized the boy as a fifth year Slytherin.

The Death Eater looming over them was not pleased with the interruption and if Harry could guess, was even less pleased by the boy's identity. The curse was quickly repeated upon him. Harry heard his screams over the general chaos of the street as the boy collapsed to his knees. Not a moment later the curse was again interrupted, and by the most unlikely of sources.

Harry would recognize the blonde hair of a Malfoy as much as he would recognize a Weasley. Harry hissed in displeasure as the Death Eater turned his attention to the young Malfoy heir, wand trained to the young man threateningly. Draco, to his credit, stood his ground. Harry had had enough. Growling, he stood before the entrance to the shadowed space between buildings, his eyes sweeping over the scene before him coldly.

"ss,Saire,ss" he whispered, making sure that the hissing tones of his Parseltongue wouldn't carry too far. The snake shifted around his chest, letting him know she had heard him. "ss,Go and protect Draco.,ss" he said.

"ss,As you wish, Shay.,ss" Siare uncurled herself from him and slithered out of his shirt and down his leg. He ignored the startled cries her presnce brought and watched out of the corner of his eye as she made her way over to the blonde. No on tried to stop her progress.

Draco, catching sight of the serpent, eyed him for a moment and Harry gave him a slight nod. Saire posed herself before the boy, her hood slightly spread and her head swaying slightly from side to side. Harry nodded again and returned his attention to the Death Eaters before him.

"You might see why Moody doesn't trust me." Harry said softly, his voice barely above a whisper and very close to the hissing tones of Parseltongue. His eyes never left the advancing line of Death Eaters. He felt Cineris shift on his shoulders, the Griffin's growl echoing in his ear as he clipped his beak at the scene before them.

"Get the students out of here." He said in the same tone, "They can't defend themselves, that is what your job is."

He saw Hermione and Neville nod at his sides and knew that they would protect what students they could. Harry stepped out of the alley, his magic swirling out and around him in visible waves as he went.

He didn't see his friends' astonished stares as they saw the rising storm of his magic whirl around him like a maelstrom. The green glow of his magic matched the shade of his eyes; the same shade as the Killing Curse he was famed for surviving.

He did see the growing attention he was gaining from the crowd of Death Eaters as he approached and faced them. He smirked, knowing that it was most certainly not a pleasing sight, and was likely quite devious.

Voldemort was not among them, this Harry knew instinctively, but at least some of the present Death Eaters were likely some of the Dark Lord's more skilled duelists, and quite possibly a part of his Inner Circle. Harry could feel the power that radiated off of them, and their combined malice nearly made him choke. His smirk grew from devious to down right malicious, matching the emotions he felt from the Death Eaters, but bearing it for a far different reason and purpose.

"Cineris." Harry whispered, his voice lilting between the tones of English and Parseltongue. The Griffin crouched on his shoulder, purring in his ear as his gold eyes locked onto the group of Death Eaters before them. Harry pulled a small vile from his belt and unstoppered it, lifting it up to his Familiar. Cin's beak clamped down on it and tilted it back, swallowing its contents quickly.

A moment later an overgrown Ash Griffin leaped into the air above the startled crowds and Harry smirked as a low growl washed over them.

By that time he had gained the attentions of most of the dark-robed Death Eaters. He didn't bother to dodge their spells. He didn't have to. His magic took care of that for him, swirling around him like some sort of storm and seeming to inhale any spell that came close to him.

A quick look towards Ginny and her two Slytherin protectors proved that all three weren't in the best of shape, but were alive and no longer under the undivided attention of a Death Eater. Draco looked a little haggard, but was clutching his wand firmly and eyeing the Death Eaters in barely contained hate. Harry didn't blame him. Saire would protect Draco, and he trusted the boy to watch over the two fifth years. If Draco had risked his life to defy the Death Eaters so openly once, there was no going back for him. He would continue down the path that he had chosen.

A dark violet curse sheered the air near his head and his magic reached out and nabbed it from the air, adding the power of the spell to the already swirling light around him. If he looked close enough he could see that the spells his magical aura collected didn't mix, but simply swirled around with it. Streaks of purples, yellows and reds seemed to float amongst the green flames that spun around him.

"You shouldn't have come here." He growled, pulling two more vials from his belt. He held them between the fingers of his left hand while he dub out a third vial with his right. Harry stepped closer to the Death Eaters, letting the area between him and them clear of any civilians. He had everyone's attention by that point, though he only cared about the combined attention of Voldemort's lackeys.

"Oh look," A voice said from their midst, "A little boy thinks he can play Auror."

Harry ignored the taunt. He could hear the fear tangled into the speaker's tone.

"ss,Foolish.,ss" Harry hissed under his breath. He wound his left arm back and chucked the two vials between his fingers straight into their midst. The third quickly followed.

Harry didn't wait to see the results of the first two potions, and as soon as the third took effect he followed them into the fray. A thick dark smoke swirled up from the third vial, spreading through the ranks of the Death Eaters and obscuring their vision. Harry smirked ads he saw the first shape of a robed man before him. They weren't prepared for their sight to be taken form them, but he could fight blind as easily as with his eyes, giving him a bit of an advantage. Considering how many Death Eaters were present, Harry would take all he could get.

He didn't bother to use spells or curses, instead he relied on his hands and feet to deal the damage he sought after. He heard the Griffin's howl before the hard crunch of a body sounded in his ears. The man didn't have a chance to cry out.

Harry didn't pause or slow as he worked his way through the group. The Death Eaters quickly closed ranks around him, their spells singing in his ears, but his magic allowed none through, and they only added to his collection. He moved quickly, utilizing the full extent of his physical training and using his speed and smaller form to sneak through the fog and deal damaging blows to those around him. Few, he quickly realized, saw or even sensed him closing in on them.

With each punch and kick his magic followed, whipping around his limbs like something of its own mind, striking his targets magically as well as physically. His hits were precise and deadly, less due to where he hit than to how much of them he struck, and few of the Death Eaters – those who survived his first strike – were able to counter him for long. What his physical hits didn't accomplish the echoing strike of his magic did.

Harry paused as a lull appeared in the numbers attacking him. Apparently the Death Eaters had realized that their strategies weren't working against him.

Harry sneered. The potion-induced fog was thinner than he would have liked. He was used to using it while within a room, rather than outside in the middle of a street. The wind was thinning it quickly, leaving him more open than he would have preferred.

Harry glanced around the area near him, trying to pierce the thinning blanket of fog. He vaguely made out the shape of a building to his left and a few shifting shadows that marked Death Eaters surrounding him. No doubt they could see his aura shining through the fog, though he doubted they would be able to pinpoint his exact location from their distance. His magic tended to just make the fog look green, rather than act like a beacon of light through it.

He could hear that Cin was on the other side of the street, snarling. Harry smirked slightly, hearing the sharp growl the Griffin released before he pounced and the startled yell of the creature's victim.

Harry shifted his stance as the fog thinned more, inspecting the slowly approaching forms surrounding him. Their wands were trained on him, not like it would do them any good. He spotted one of the recipients of his flung potions lying on the ground. The whole right side of his head and shoulder had seemingly melted away, leaving a charred look to the man's skull and chest. It was the results of one of the more violent poisons. On their own, the two vials were relatively harmless, but when the contents were combined they sparked an acidic like substance. The man likely didn't know what had hit him. The poison was a quick killer.

He spun slowly, taking in the number still around him. None of the other inhabitants of Hogsmeade had yet involved themselves in the fight. Harry had managed to garner the whole area's complete attention, however unlikely that seemed to him. He dismissed the slight agitation at having to deal with the Death Eaters himself and focused on the task before him. The villagers were not trained to deal with such a situation. While some Order members and Professors were most likely in the area, their main concern was the students' safety. If he had to take the attentions of thirty some odd Death Eaters to give them time to get the children to safety, then so be it.

The fog thinned more and Harry was able to make out details of the Death Eaters surrounding him. Harry smirked and reversed the flow of his magic. The green light spinning around him slowed and then stopped, revealing its flame-like nature to those around him. Before anyone had a chance to test what changes the aura had over him, the storm started up again, spinning in the opposite direction it had a moment before.

The Death Eaters shifted around him, obviously nervous in the face of an unknown threat. They didn't have long to dwell on it however, as a moment later all the spells that his magic had gathered out of the air around him shot back out.

Harry's smirk widened as the numerous spells and curses spread out from him in a radial wave, taking down most of the Death Eaters nearest him before they had a chance to erect any sort of barrier. The type and strength of each spell varied, and while many were mild enough, Harry could tall that a good number of them were rather of a nastier variety.

He had no qualms about sending the Death Eaters their own curses back at them, though.

Harry again didn't wait to see the results of his latest attack. He followed the wave of spells, jumping into the largest congregation of Death Eaters around him. Two fell to his attacks before the group began to retaliate. They tried spells first, though when his magic again sucked them out of the air, they quickly halted their spell casting. Harry gave them points for having some brains.

Harry spun after seeing the Death Eater fall before him, and struck out with his arm in a sharp swinging motion designed to strike a man across the jugular. Harry didn't expect the Death Eater to draw a sword to block him. He was never more relieved for his aura of magic. His hand stopped the blade before it took off his own head, his magic protecting him from the worst of the damage while the green flames of his aura whipped around the sword angrily.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man before him, noticing absently that the sword, despite being stopped by his magic, had still cut into his arm. He ignored the pain and the trail of blood he felt run down his forearm to his elbow.

"Impressive." The Death Eater said, not moving the sword away. Harry recognized the man immediately.

"Lucuis." He hissed. The man was supposed to be dead.

"I remember your aura, Potter." Lucius said, his silver eyes peering out from his mask at him, "And I remember the untamed power of it."

"It is hardly so untamed now." Harry said. He quickly glanced around him, seeing a few Death Eaters nearby watching them, but none approached. He wondered where the others were. The fog was too thin to block out sight, but it was thick enough still to hinder the range of his vision. He knew he did not take out all of them, and there were not enough in his near vicinity to make up for all the Death Eaters he knew were still standing. They were up to something and he didn't like it.

"How did you escape it alive, anyways?" Harry said, returning his attention to the man.

"You really think a whelp like you could kill me?"

"Yes, actually, I can." Harry snapped.

Lucius pulled the sword back, the blade sliding sharply across his forearm. Harry winced slightly as he felt the metal pull at the cut. His magic clung to the blade, licking around the sword angrily before returning to its normal spin around him.

"But it's not perfect." Lucius said, spotting the growing patch of blood on his arm.

"Why are you here?" Harry said, ignoring the man's comment.

"One would think that the Founders would train you properly." Lucius said. Harry refused to respond though his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Though perhaps it isn't possible for a Halfblood to achieve such control over their magic."

"One would think that a man vying for Pureblood dominance wouldn't grovel at the feet of a Halfbood." Harry retorted.

Lucius snarled at him and Harry used the opportunity to attack, pulling one of his knives from his belt as he stepped directly under the man's guard. Lucius stumbled slightly as he backed away, blocking the knife with his sword hastily. Harry followed after him, pulling his second knife and not giving the man a chance to find stable footing.

Lucius blocked him well with his one blade against Harry's two, but the greatest disadvantage of knives against a sword was their reach and Harry was unable to get past the man's guard so easily a second time. The elder Malfoy had some skill with a sword.

Hary pushed the man backwards towards a semi-distant wall, forcing him to keep one eye behind while blocking the two knives from the front. Lucius stumbled, his foot catching a rock. Harry smirked triumphantly, swinging the longer blade in his right hand outward across the man's face while his left hand swung at the man's chest. Lucius couldn't block them both while stumbling and Harry's right blade connected with the Death Eater mask with a force strong enough to whip the man's entire upper body to the side. Lucius countered quickly, throwing the killing curse at him as the stumbled backwards.

Harry was prevented from finishing the man off as the killing curse rammed into his aura was a force he hadn't expected. It didn't break through the storm around him, but it did cause him to have to take a step back to keep his balance. A spell at such close range, and with the power that Lucius had put into it would stagger him no matter the strength of his raging aura.

Harry glared at the man and hissed between his teeth. Lucius had managed to right himself, his mask no longer on his face, revealing a deep slash across his left cheek from Harry's knife. Harry smirked.

Before he had a chance to rush the man again, Lucius pointed his wand into the air.

"Morsmordre!" he snarled.

Harry charged, both his knives swinging at the man from opposite directions. Lucius disappeared seconds before the blades would have crossed through his neck.

"Damnit!" Harry swore, spinning on his heal to face the street.

The fog had thinned to the point of being no more than wispy smoke with sporadic patches of thicker fog. The Death Eaters were gone. Harry sneered at the empty street before him. Not even the ones who had died were left.

"Bugger." He sword again, sheathing his knives and walking into the middle of the road, inspecting the area for any damage or injured residents. Cin was a number a paces down the street, pawing at the ground with his claws and growling in frustration. Harry knew how the Griffin felt. He spotted Draco and the two fifth years across from him, huddled within the doorway of one of the shops. Saire was wrapped around the boy's neck, her hood spread wide in warning. They looked to be alive and in no immediate danger.

Seeing no bodies sprawled within the street, Harry could only assume that he had managed to keep the attentions of most of the Death Eaters enough for them not to be able to do any permanent harm. He tried to ignore the nagging at the back of his mind telling him that he was likely wrong.

He looked up at the Dark Mark floating above him, sneering at the ugly sign of Voldemort's existence.

"Bloody ugly thing." He grumbled darkly. Harry flung a hand towards the mark, gathering the swirling aura around him along his arm. A thick bolt of green magic flew above him like an arrow and speared the Dark Mark, cutting the sign in half. The skull and snake ripped apart down the middle, but didn't fade away. He snarled, but left it alone. He knew that the mark wouldn't go away for some time, but at least he had managed to rip the thing in half, leaving a lingering trail of his magic searing the edges like green-glowing coals.

"Well, that's an improvement." A voice at his shoulder said.

Harry spun, his hand out before him ready for a spell since his magic was no longer swirling around him, but he immediately took a step back when Draco jumped at his response. Harry smirked slightly, letting his hand drop to his side. Draco stared at him a moment, Saire's head hovering near his ear.

"You know, you're real freaky when you glow." The blonde commented. Harry blinked.

"That had to have been the most undistinguished thing I have ever heard you say." Harry said in slight shock.

Draco actually blushed. Harry stared. The blonde shifted a bit uncomfortably before he seemed to pull himself together.

"Your snake. "He said, pulling the serpent away from his shoulders. Harry looked at him for a moment, not taking Saire from him.

"Care for her for me." Harry said, watching as Draco snapped his eyes to him in surprise. "She'll protect you and I rather suspect you might need her help in the future." He said, looking around the street wryly.

"I don't need nor want your help, Elddir." The blonde growled.

"I know." Harry said simply, returning his gaze to the young Malfoy. "Consider it a peace offering of sorts."

"Why?"

Harry cocked his head to the side slightly, wondering if the blonde really had no idea who he was. Lucius clearly knew, which meant that Voldemort had at least informed those closest to him, if not all within his ranks. The Founders and Harry had decided to try to keep his identity a secret to have an advantage over Voldemort, but since the Dark Lord already knew, Harry saw little reason – beyond avoiding the masses – to hide his true identity.

He ran a soothing finger over Saire's head, smiling slightly as the snake hissed in pleasure.

"ss,Will you stay with him, and guard him for a while, Saire?,ss" harry hissed to her. He ignored Draco's sharp intake of breath before him.

"ss,Of course, Shay.,ss" the serpent responded. "ss,I'll do as you ask.,ss"

"ss,Thank you Siare.,ss" Harry said, giving the snake a final stroke along her scales before turning to take in Draco's expression.

"She has agreed to go with you and protect you." Harry informed the blonde. "Her venom is currently a potent poison, though it won't yet kill unless she bites two or three times. It will take a few moments to take full effect, so do not expect her bit to instantly take care of an adversary."

"You're…" Draco said, still staring at him.

Harry nodded, smirking slightly, knowing that Draco had caught on to his identity. "Yes, I'm Harry Potter." He said, highly amused at the boy's expression. Draco gaped at him, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to form words, but no sound came out. Harry's smirk grew as he watched the boy struggle to find words that normally came to him easily. He was quite pleased with himself for making the silver-tongued Malfoy completely and utterly speechless.

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	33. Brothers in Arms

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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**Last Time**

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"You're…" Draco said, still staring at him.

Harry nodded, smirking slightly, knowing that Draco had caught on to his identity. "Yes, I'm Harry Potter." He said, highly amused at the boy's expression. Draco gaped at him his mouth opening and closing as if trying to form words, but no sound came out. Harry's smirk grew as he watched the boy struggle to find words that normally came to him easily. He was quite proud of himself for making the silver-tongued Malfoy completely and utterly speechless.

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

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**Brothers in Arms**

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Harry was cut from his obvious amusement at Draco's continued gaping by his over-grown Familiar. Landing on him.

"Cin!" he hollered, shoving the creature off of him and staggering to his feet. Harry glared down at the Griffin, or rather up at him, which really decimated his attempts at looking stern and menacing. The 'cub' merely looked back at him innocently.

Harry was sure that the beast was _smirking_.

"Bloody, overgrown…_twinkling_…blasted mutated excuse for an animal." Harry grumbled darkly, trying to shake the dirt from his robes. He ignored the growling coming from above his head and Draco's soft snickering beside him.

"That's it!" Harry said, throwing his hands out in exasperation. "I give up!"

He spun around on his heel, giving up on his robes and Familiar and took in the damage done to the village from the fight. His inspection was quickly interrupted by a flurry of curly hair running in his direction.

"Darion!" Hermione yelled, waving at him.

"Hermione." He greeted as she came up next to him. He put a hand out to steady her as she tried to catch her breath, slightly amused.

He wasn't prepared for the girl to punch him in the arm. He started slightly, clamping down on any reflex that may have involved a nasty spell or sharp object and stared at her. She hadn't hit very hard, but the action was completely unexpected.

"Don't you do that again!" Hermione said, glaring at him.

"What?" Harry tried to figure out what he did to upset her so much.

"You just up and charged two dozen Death Eaters!" she said, her voice rising in pitch. "Alone!" Harry got the feeling he knew were her tirade was headed. "You started glowing, and then the fog, and you just disappeared! We couldn't see you, all we could hear was…was…"

Harry gripped her shoulders a bit harshly, snapping her out of her growing hysteria. "Hermione," he said, meeting her eyes evenly, "I'm not hurt."

She blinked at him, but seemed to have gotten control of herself again.

"What was that?" she whispered.

"What was what?"

"That glow around you?"

Harry smiled slightly, releasing her. "That was my magic."

"What? How? That's not possible." Harry could see her mind running through her books, searching for some sort of explanation to what she had seen.

"I admit I'm curious myself." Draco said. Harry glanced over at him, he had momentarily forgotten about the blonde. Ginny and the second Slytherin student had come up to stand behind him. Ginny was leaning slightly on her year-mate, and seemed to favor her left foot.

"I assure you, Hermione," Harry said, "That it is very much possible, just rare."

Harry held up a hand to stop whatever question the girl may have had. He was sure that she had many, and wanted to know all about it. "Not here, if you will, please."

Hermione snapped her mouth closed and nodded, though he could see the burning curiosity in her eyes. Harry turned his attention to the two Slytherins.

"Thank you." He said, nodding to each.

"For what?" the fifth year asked.

"For protecting Ginny." He said. "By the way, what is your name?"

The boy blinked at him in slight surprise for a minute before answering. "Edward. Edward Wintersvew."

Harry nodded politely in greeting before narrowing his eyes threateningly at the boy. "You should know," he said in a cold voice, "That if you hurt her, you're a dead man."

Edward's face paled considerably and his eyes darted between Harry and the girl leaning into his side.

"I think he means it, Wintersvew." Draco commented.

"I should hope so." Hermione said sternly. Harry caught her nod in approval out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, really!" Ginny said, looking between the three. "I can take care of myself well enough, thanks."

"I know." Harry said, then added solemnly, "But as an honorary brother to the Weasley's, I must fulfill my duties to my only little sister by giving death threats to any potential love interests."

Ginny stared at him for a moment before huffing. "I don't need you to do that as well, Harry," she said, "I've got six other brothers that already do so. I think six threats is more than enough."

"Then seven won't hurt." Harry pointed out, not missing a beat when she figured out who he was so quickly and made no outward exclamations. It made for a nice change after the usual reactions his duel identity brought.

"I'm particularly skilled with a knife." Harry said, giving the boy a pointed look.

"That won't be necessary." Ginny said, her eyes glinting in amusement.

"And I know how to brew nine deadly poisons." Harry added with a devious smirk.

"You will not be poisoning any of my boyfriends!" Ginny warned.

"And I am familiar with twenty-three forms of physical torture, none of which involve blades, knives, cutting or bleeding of any sort." Harry said. That wasn't – entirely – true, but Edward Wintersvew, potential love-interest of Ginny Weasley, didn't need to know that.

"If you torture him, I'll hit you with my Bat-bogey hex."

"What about the Unforgiveables?"

"No." Ginny growled.

"Inanimate Transformations?" Harry asked a bit hopefully.

"Absolutely not."

"Fine." Harry huffed, then leered at the fifth year boy, "Then I'll just force apparate him into the middle of the Black Lake and let him fight off the Grindeylows and swim back to shore…where Cin, here, will be waiting for him."

Ginny shook her head in exasperation, "I don't have the energy to counter that right now."

Harry was greatly amused. Ed, by that point, looked incredibly pale, and his eyes were darting between Harry, Ginny and the Griffin at an alarming rate. Harry figured the boy hadn't quite realized his status as a date to a girl with six, or rather seven, older and protective brothers. Harry gave him a predatory look, but quickly blanked his face a moment later, making the boy stare at him while trying to avoid looking at his eyes.

Harry decided that he really didn't need to torture the fifth year any more, and figured that the boy got the message well enough after that. He took in the three's exhausted state, and pulled three vials from his belt, handing them to the three. Ed held his cautiously, though didn't seem to want to refuse it, or didn't dare to, Harry wasn't sure which.

"They will help with the effects of the Cruciatus." Harry said, and watched as the three drained the vials. Ginny scrunched up her face at the bitter taste. Even Draco couldn't resist a reaction to the potion's flavor. Harry tried to hide his amusement as Ed drank the potion with a look on his face like he was facing death or worse. The kid's eyes kept darting fearfully to him and back to the vial in his hand and then to Ginny and back again. Harry briefly wondered if he was giving himself a headache with all the dodgy eye movements.

"Stick close to Draco when you can, if you will." Harry said. "Saire will help to protect you, and you'll both be needing the help after defying the Death Eaters so openly."

Neither boy said anything, but they did nod in acquiescence. Ed still looked pale, which amused Harry to no end.

"Was anyone hurt?" Harry asked, turning to Hermione.

"Nothing permanent." She said, looking around the gradually filling street. Harry spotted a number of Order members among the gathering crowd. "The fog forced everyone to generally stay put or risk running into something or someone. We managed to find a few groups of younger students by following the buildings, and we took them in to Madam Rosemerta. She's collected them all down in her cellar. We would have guided them through the tunnel to the school, but we didn't dare cross the street."

"Did you meet any Death Eaters?" he asked.

"Just two, Neville knocked them out with a couple stunners before I even saw them."

Harry nodded while he looked around. He hadn't been able to keep track of most of the Death Eaters, a negative side-effect of the fog, and he was nearly positive that a few of them managed to cause trouble while he dealt with the rest of them. He just didn't know what.

"Cin, check the alleys." Harry said, still inspecting the street. There was no trace of any of the Death Eaters he felled. They managed to take their dead with them when they retreated. The Griffin stalked over to the nearest alley-way, the few villagers in his way making hasty retreats to clear a path for him.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Harry said slowly, heading towards the opposite side that Cin had went.

"Elddir!"

Harry spun on his heel, spotting Moody and another Order member he couldn't recall the name of. He was surprised at Moody's presence, however. The man's magical stores were extremely low after the Medusa Curse, and he wouldn't have been able to cast any spell strong enough for a fight. Harry spotted Albus making his way through the village over everyone's heads. The man was wearing some sort of tall, brightly colored hat. Harry shook his head slightly at the man. He would never change.

"How many did you face?" Harry asked, before the two Order members could bombard him with questions.

"Three." The nameless one said. "Tonks got one, and Kingsley got another. They disappeared when the mark was cast, though."

"All of them did." Harry said, gesturing to the street. "Dead or alive."

"And you?" Moody said, his magical eye fixed on him.

Harry shrugged. "I've no doubt you can answer that on your own, Mad-Eye." He said.

"What did you do to them?" the old Auror asked. "Your physical strikes would not have killed them all, and each one that fell, fell dead."

Harry looked at the man evenly, his face blank of any reaction or emotion. He had hoped that Moody wouldn't have felt the need to bring up that little fact.

"Eleven Death Eaters killed within the span of a few minutes." Moody growled, "And all by your touch, or rather the touch of your magic."

Harry decided to ignore that for the moment. "Twelve accounted for by me, four by Cin, two by Neville, and five by you." Harry said, his voice slightly flat. "I estimated a little over two dozen before the smoke covered the street. That leaves four to six unaccounted for. I want to know where they were and what they did."

"I want to know how you killed eleven men with just a touch." Moody growled.

"I'm sure." Harry said, eyeing the man. "But you'll have to wait."

Harry turned away from the two Order members, and faced Hermione, ignoring the mixed emotions on her face from the news that he had actually killed eleven men just a few minutes prior.

"Where are the others?"

"Uh…Ron stayed with Madam Rosemerta." Hermione said and pointed down the road, "Neville and Luna went along the buildings to look for any more students."

Harry eyed the direction she pointed in. It was away from where he had fought the largest crowd of Death Eaters, so it was likely safe enough for the two.

"You're not going to get out of answering me, Elddir." Moody said.

"Yes, I know." Harry commented, "I'll answer you if only to shut you up."

"Insolent, whelp." Moody mumbled. Harry ignored him, spotting Albus coming in his direction. The man was, indeed, wearing a pointy hat decorated with little yellow stars that stood out painfully against the violet background. His robe actually matched.

"Really, Bill." Harry greeted, "You need to take some lessons on fashion. Ask young Draco here, he's got the whole idea down. He might be willing to give you a few pointers."

"If only to save me from a headache." Draco mumbled behind him. Harry smirked.

"Fashion is a matter of the times, Darion." Albus said.

"And your fashion just dates you."

"Nothing wrong with that, Darion."

Harry shook his head. "Sure thing, Bill."

Albus suddenly looked a bit more serious. "What happened?"

"Two dozen Death Eaters, a smog potion and a seriously pissed off Founders Heir." Harry said wryly. "I'm missing about four of them."

Harry didn't bother to give details or elaborations. He knew that Albus didn't need to be told such things, the man would be able to figure them out, and they weren't all that important initially anyways. Details could wait for later contemplation. The most pressing matter was the half a dozen Death Eaters that weren't accounted for.

Albus nodded, glancing around the surrounding area. "The Alleys?"

"Cin's on it." Harry's eyes followed after Albus', scanning the street for any signs of misdeed or anything out of place.

"The students?"

"Nothing so far." They had been lucky. None of the students had been injured in the attack besides Ginny and her two Slytherins, and they would be fine with some rest.

"The Death Eaters?" Albus asked.

"Some sort of mass portkey." Harry snarled. He didn't much like that all the Death Eaters disappeared at the same time.

"How many?"

"I got twelve."

"Eleven." Moody interceded. Harry sent a glare at the man.

"Twelve if the last doesn't get the antidote." Harry said a bit coldly, not saying Lucius' name as he was well aware of Draco's presence. He didn't want to drop such a bomb on the kid after he just gave up his life by defying the Death Eaters. He was pretty sure that the boy hadn't been able to see his fight with Lucius, as they were on opposite sides of the street and the fog hadn't yet cleared by the time Harry sliced into the man's cheek. He didn't fancy telling the boy that he had likely just killed his father. Then again, Lucius had survived him once before, so it was entirely likely that the man would survive again. Harry didn't give him great odds for it, but he did give the man the chance.

"Any names?" Albus asked.

Harry paused, his eyes flickering over to the young Malfoy briefly. "One." Harry said. Albus didn't ask for it, seeming to get the idea that Harry had a reason not to say it out loud.

"Ideas?" Albus asked, still looking around the street.

"A few." Harry said, "Nothing pleasant."

Harry's mind was suddenly invaded with a flurry of images. He paused, blinking rapidly as he sorted through the mess that his Familiar sent to him: an alley, a figure slumped against the wall, some blood, red hair as the figure stirred.

"Ron." Harry whispered, his eyes flashing open as he spun around towards the direction the Griffin was in.

"Darion?" Albus said, as Harry dashed past him towards the alley. Cin was just emerging, a red-headed figure hanging onto the Griffin for support, and cradling his head in one hand. He felt as much as heard the small group he had gathered follow him.

Harry's steps faltered slightly as the red-head looked up, but otherwise he showed no surprise at finding, not Ron's face, but one of his brothers'; the eldest Weasley son, Bill.

"Headmaster." Bill said, spotting them.

"What happened, my boy?" Albus asked with concern.

Harry moved up to the man's side, pulling his hand away from his head so he could get a clear look at the wound. Bill eyed him with some wariness mixed with curiosity, but didn't push him away or hinder his inspection. There was a rather nasty gash along the side of his skull, but it wasn't deep and Harry had little concern for it. The amount of blood in the alley made sense. Head wounds bled a lot, even if they weren't life threatening. He likely had a wicked headache, though.

"There were five of them." Bill said, seeming to get over Harry's presence at his head. "Two of them were excellent duelers, and used some nasty curses. I was with Snape, and we were in trouble. A blasting hex caught me off guard and blew me into the wall. " Bill paused a moment as Harry whispered a spell under his breath, running his hand slowly along the cut. "They were about to finish me off when two students came around the corner. Think they managed to surprise each other. I couldn't focus enough to get their identities, but I suspect they were older, they held their own pretty well. I'm not sure what Snape was doing, he was on the other side of them. I couldn't see him through the smoke too well. Heard him, though I couldn't make out exact words."

Harry finished the healing spell and cast a quick cleaning spell over his head to clear away the blood. He ran a finger along the thin scar, watching for any flinches or signs of pain from the man. He nodded when there was none and handed him a vial from his belt.

"For the headache." Harry said. Bill took the vial without hesitation or comment.

"The smoke cleared a bit, and I heard the Morsemordre spell, "Bill continued after downing the potion. "The Death Eaters disappeared. They took the two kids with them."

Harry snapped his eyes around to him, not liking what he heard in the least.

"I managed to hold consciousness long enough to realize that Snape was gone as well. I passed out shortly after, and then got woke up by this guy here." Bill said, scratching Cin in between his wings. The Griffin purred at the attention.

"You don't know who the students were?" Albus asked, any trace of his usual twinkle noticeably absent.

"A boy and girl." Bill said thoughtfully, "Older, but maybe not seventh years. The girl was short, had long light hair. The boy was tall, stockier." He shook his head. "That's about it."

Harry glanced over at Hermione, and then studied the street, hoping, but knowing that he wouldn't see either Neville or Luna among the crowd. He clenched his fists at his side, ideas and plans whirling through his mind and being discarded as quickly as they came up. Snape was not liked amongst Voldemort's forces, and both the Longbottoms and Lovegoods were known for being Light families. Both of the students already held reputations for being thorns against the Death Eaters. None of the three would be treated kindly. He suddenly turned to face Draco, his eyes blazing.

"Where?" he hissed, having to consciously focus to keep his language from slipping into Parseltongue.

Draco jumped a bit at his sudden motion, his eyes wide. "I don't know."

Harry snarled.

"I don't know." Draco said hastily, raising his hands before him in defense, "They don't take prisoners to the Manor, Father never said, I don't know where."

Harry growled then, vaguely noticing that the usually composed Draco Malfoy was quickly losing control over his impeccable mask of indifference.

"I know where they would take them." Ed said softly.

Harry spun, pinning the fifth year with an intense gaze. The boy looked terribly nervous, but stood his ground. Harry tried to soften his face a bit so as not to scare the kid completely out of his wits, however comical it would be if not for the situation.

"Dreary Hold." Ed said, resolutely meeting his eyes. "My uncle, Augustus Rookwood, his summer house, Dreary Hold, in Devon near Bodmin Moor."

Harry nodded, his eyes hardening as a plan began to form.

"What are you plotting, Elddir?" Moody asked, his voice strangely wary.

Harry smirked, "Mayhem, fright and vengeance."

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	34. Killing Curse Green

**Hey Hey! **_Horcrexhexer_ has written a short scene from when Harry was with the Founders and played one of his pranks…more specifically the one where the two Dumbledore boys become the Dumbledore _girls_ that Harry mentioned a number of chapters back…hehe…go check it out! It's listed in both my favorite authors and stories lists; "The Dumbledore Sisters" by Horcrexhexer.**  
**

**Author's Note**: A few responses…

_Irihi Safaia_, "Moody is... *giggles* funny! *pets him, then dodges the hex that comes her way*" LoL!

_NephyRiddle_, yea it was a little sudden that Harry called Edward 'Ed' but Harry, if you haven't noticed yet, has a bit of a fondness for nicknames and the interesting little fifth year Edward Wintersvew is not exempt.

I'm glad that everyone seemed to like that last chapter, and the fight scene before it.

By the way, Edward is an original character, created mostly for Ginny to try to protect while her collective older brothers try to scare him away with threats, tricks, pranks, and of course insights into the knowledge base of Harry's mind (including poisons, knives, torture and nasty hexes of the bat-bogey variety and beyond). He'll be around for a while…kind of…maybe…if he survives anyways.

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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**Last Time**

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"Dreary Hold." Ed said, resolutely meeting his eyes. "My uncle, Augustus Rookwood, his summer house, Dreary Hold, in Devon near Bodmin Moor."

Harry nodded, his eyes hardening as a plan began to form.

"What are you plotting, Elddir?" Moody asked, his voice strangely wary.

Harry smirked, "Mayhem, fright and vengeance."

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

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**Killing Curse Green**

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"How did you kill them, Elddir?" Moody asked for what had to be the twelfth time in as many minutes. Harry ignored the question as he ignored the first eleven and continued to stalk down the corridors of Hogwarts into the dungeons. He should have just Slid into the school. Walking seemed to invite everyone else to trail after him like lost puppies. He wasn't in the mood to cater to any of them, especially an overly suspicious, paranoid old Auror.

"Elddir!" Moody growled, "Answer me!"

Harry finally snapped and spun sharply on his heel, snarling into the man's face as Moody nearly ran straight into him. The gathered hangers-on all stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him. Harry paid them no mind.

"Moody…" he whispered, his voice deadly cold, "if you don't stop asking me that I'll give you a first hand demonstration."

The old Auror narrowed his eyes at the obvious threat, but didn't say anything. Harry was slightly disappointed, not that he would admit to it.

Harry's nerves were slightly too high-strung to enjoy the resulting silence his statement brought. He took a deep breath and turned away from the Order members and few students trailing him around the school and continued on his way.

They entered the dungeons in silence.

Harry didn't bother to give a password to the portrait of Slytherin guarding the entrance. Salazar didn't ask either. The primly seated figure of the Founder took one long look at him as he approached and opened the door without a word. Harry didn't even have to slow down his rapid pace as he entered the chambers. The others followed, slipping into the living area and looking around nervously, or in the case of some, in curiosity. Harry crossed the room with only a cursory glance around, more out of habit than interest in his surroundings.

"Are these your rooms?" Hermione asked. Harry paused before the doorway to his bedroom and turned to her. She was standing in the middle of the chamber, staring around her in muted awe. Harry followed her line of sight to take in the walls lined with overflowing bookshelves; typical and predictable for her.

"No." he said, his voice completely neutral, "They are my Master's."

Hermione blinked at him a bit owlishly before nodding.

"You don't call him that much." She said softly.

"No, I don't." Harry admitted about to enter his room. He paused again, though, reflective. "There are few whom I have called such." He said over his shoulder.

He unlocked his door with a wave of his hand and entered without another word. Cin trailed after him, slinking past the students into the room. The Griffin quickly claimed a space for himself, sprawling his large form over his bed. Harry shot the creature an irritated look. No one followed him in, though he felt the presence of the two Slytherin boys at his door. They said nothing as he shed his robes, revealing the basic dress he typically wore beneath, just slacks and a shirt; functional, comfortable, flexible, dark.

Without his usual robes his armaments were also revealed to the boys' eyes.

"You carry all that every day?" Draco asked. Harry glanced over at the blonde and nodded.

"Usually."

One of the two let out a low whistle. Harry ignored them as he opened one of the compartments of his trunk. His weapons.

"And you know how to use all of them?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded, picking out a stack of throwing stars and holding them gingerly, making sure not to touch the edges. Salazar's influence had driven him to dip most of his blades in various poisons.

"Why do you wear knives in the school?" Ed asked. Harry didn't look away from the stars as he inspected each, checking for any flaws or dull edges.

"Habit." He said.

"Dangerous habit." The fifth year commented.

Harry snorted, separating the stars into sets of threes and slipping them into the special made pockets of his pants. Most of his clothing was tailored to his personal use. Even if he didn't carry his weapons, he could easily slip them into their places without having to change into specialized dueling clothes.

"Why would you need them?" Ed said.

"Darion is a fighter, and was trained to be such. Weaponry is a necessary skill for his Task." A new voice said from behind the two boys. Both jumped slightly at sudden arrival of the Headmaster. Harry smirked slightly.

"I, for instance, may know how to wield a weapon and fight a duel, but am not trained to be a fighter." Albus continued. "My Task is to lead, and as such, my training with the Founders focused on that. Darion's training was tailored to his own Task."

Harry turned to face the Headmaster, not in the mood to try to explain any of the intricacies of the Founders' and their Heirs to a couple of school children. The boys could wait to satisfy their curiosity.

"Anything?" Harry asked.

"No." Albus said with a sigh. "There has been no demands or notifications from Tom."

Harry nodded. "Did you tell the families of those taken?"

"Yes. They will be arriving here within the hour."

"The sword?" Harry asked.

"I have it." Albus said, pulling a gilded scabbard from the folds of his robe. "I've kept it hidden since you pulled it from the hat in your second year."

Harry took the sword from him a bit reverently. He didn't remember the sword very well from when he killed the Basilisk, but he recalled it perfectly from his time with the Founders.

"The Sword of Gryffindor." Harry said, eyeing the handle. He didn't draw the sword; he didn't need to, nor want to. He strapped it to his back, situating the length of the scabbard so that it wasn't awkward.

"You intend to use it?" Albus asked.

"Only if I need to." Harry said, "But it will never fully accept me."

"No, it has a Lord to serve." Albus said softly.

Harry nodded again and returned his attention to his trunk, picking through the various knives and throwing implements stored within. He quickly pulled out what he was looking for, inspecting each and placing them upon his person in various locations. He could feel the eyes of the two boys on him, and could all but taste their curiosity and astonishment.

"Sweet Merlin." Draco breathed after Harry strapped two additional knives to each leg. "You look like you're about to go into a war."

Harry paused and turned his head enough to look at the blond out of the corner of his eye. "I am." Draco blinked in surprise.

"You learned all this with the Founders?" Ed asked.

"From the Founders, yes." Harry said giving his trunk a final intense look.

"Why?"

Harry slammed the lid of the trunk closed, hearing the boys jump slightly, and one of the girls let out a slight yell, at the sudden sound. He turned to eye the increased gathering huddled around his doorway. All four of the students stared back at him, with Albus twinkling over their shoulders. Harry could see Moody and Bill hovered over some obscure object or another on the others side of the living area.

"You can come in, you know." Harry said with slight amusement. "Just don't touch anything."

The students shuffled into the room, leaving the Headmaster in the doorway. Harry turned away from them all and faced one of the shelves in his room. Two walls were covered in shelving, one filled completely with his collection of books and references. The second, smaller of the two, was lined with potions vials.

Harry quickly scanned the shelves, pulling the vials he wanted down and slipping them into the holsters on his belt. As he did so he removed some from his belt to put back on the shelf, effectively exchanging the array of potions he carried.

"What language are they in?" Hermione asked, coming to stand beside him.

"Mine." Harry said, pulling a nasty yellowish sludge off of the top shelf. "It's a mixing of Parseltongue, Latin and Old Welsh, actually."

"Oh."

"Salazar hated it." Harry smirked, slipping the potion into a slot on his belt.

"I would have thought he would have been impressed." Albus said.

"He was." Harry said. "Until I changed the labels on all of his stores and he couldn't read them anymore."

"What did he do?" Albus asked his eyes twinkling.

"He tricked me into drinking a potion that was labeled as something else." Harry said. "So once I recovered from its effects, I altered all the labels on his bottles. He ended up taking some sort of laxative when he was looking for a headache cure and we didn't see him for three days." Harry turned from the shelf of oddly labeled vials to face the gaping crowd in his room. He smirked wickedly for a moment at the memory.

"Good grief." Hermione said. "I'm beginning to wonder if I really want to know what all you got up to with the Founders."

"I want to know." Ginny said with a gleam in her eyes. "I might get some ideas."

"Just don't tell them to the twins." Hermione said.

Harry stood aside and watched them for a moment, all the while turning his plan around in his head. Infiltrating Dreary Hold would not be easy, and he would have to do so alone, which would make his task even more difficult. Pair that with the goal of getting three prisoners out alive and his chances of pulling it all off was growing painfully thin. He would have to pull on some of his more – interesting – skills; skills he didn't yet want Voldemort to be aware of.

"Let me go with you."

Harry shot his head up at the words. The others had grown silent, staring between Harry and the red-head in the door, Moody hovering at his shoulder. The eldest Weasley was looking far more determined than Harry remembered ever seeing him.

"No." Harry said.

"Why not?" Bill asked, "You can't expect to go on your own."

"I can and I will."

"You're mad." Bill said, entering the room fully. "Let me help you!"

Harry narrowed his eyes slightly. "No."

"You're putting their lives at risk because you won't accept help!" Bill shouted taking an advancing step towards Harry.

Harry had him against the wall with a knife to his throat within seconds. His eyes blazing at the insult the man had said and the hurt and frustration he felt at the whole situation.

Harry ignored the knife that Bill had to his gut.

The man was fast, and good. Harry hadn't seen him draw the weapon until he felt it against his stomach. The blade was sharp, and had already sliced his shirt and scratched at his skin before he could stop his forward motion.

"You're good." Harry said, seeing Bill's eyes widen slightly in victory. "But I already knew that."

"I'm going with you."

"You could die." Harry said bluntly.

"So could you."

"The Death Eaters will try, but I don't have to worry about my ally's magic killing me." Harry said, increasing the pressure on the man's neck slightly. "You do."

Bill's eyes widened in shock and surprise then narrowed just as suddenly. "What do you mean?"

Harry didn't say anything. He didn't have to. His magic said it for him.

It didn't swirl around him as it did in Hogsmeade, but it glowed as if from under his skin, seeping out of his pores to flicker across the surface. Harry knew that it made him look odd and often times quite disturbing. His magic was like a light, casting his body in an eerie green glow. Harry had only ever met one other person who actually _liked_ the effect – Salazar.

Bill gasped as he felt it. Harry had no idea what it felt like, he had never experienced it, but he knew what people said they felt when his magic touched them. Cold, damp, almost like being dipped into an icy lake, but the sensation flickered and danced as if it were a flame.

"You feel it now." Harry said, his voice as cold as his magic was to Bill. "This is the most genial I can make it; the most gentle and harmless."

He watched, as the magic seemed to caress Bill's skin wherever the man was close enough for it to reach. Harry held it tightly to himself, so only the locations where their bodies actually touched each other could his magic reach properly. But it was more than enough to get the effect through.

"Can you recognize it?" Harry asked softly, watching the man's eyes closely for signs of pain. "You're a curse breaker. You've faced traps and wards of dangerous proportions. You've fought against Death Eaters. I know you have felt it before. I know that you have come close to it, felt it pass you by and sighed in relief."

Bill was breathing heavier, and he was no longer holding his knife to Harry's mid-section, but he was not yet in pain. Discomfort, most definitely, but Harry saw no pain in his eyes or features. He didn't pull his magic away. Bill had to understand the full risk he would take by going with him in the midst of a Death Eater hold.

It would not be fair to the man otherwise.

"Look at the color, Bill." Harry said, staring into his eyes. "Look at the color, closely. Remember who I am, what my name is. Remember what I am known for surviving!"

Bill's eyes widened suddenly in understanding, horror filled understanding. Harry nodded.

"Avada Kedavra." Bill whispered.

"The world thinks that I survived, and I did." Harry said a bit wryly, "But do you really believe that such a thing would not change me? I survived a curse that should not have been survivable. I lived where no one else had, and that _changed_ me, _had_ to change me."

Bill gasped slightly, panting, and Harry saw the rising pain in his eyes. He quickly stepped back, releasing the man and putting a few paces in between them. Harry forced his magic back, and the glow slowly retreated back into his skin and faded. Bill slouched against the wall for a moment, catching his breath.

"You'll live." Harry said, eyeing the man critically.

Bill snorted and gingerly touched his shoulder and neck. Harry's arm had crossed over the man's collarbone to hold him to the wall, and as such, was where his magic touched Bill the worst. He unclasped his robe and pulled the material back, feeling his skin with his fingers. It was red and raw as if highly irritated, and across the high point of the bone the skin appeared to have been scraped away with a blade. A thin trail of blood snaked down his chest, staining his shirt.

"It cannot be healed with magic." Harry said softly, but without regret or remorse. "It will, however, heal on its own."

"Merlin." One of the girls breathed. Harry didn't look to see which.

"That was at the most genial?" Bill said wryly, pulling his shirt and robe closed again with a wince.

"Aye." Harry said, his voice soft. "And it drew blood within a few short moments. Imagine what it did to the Death Eaters who were struck with its full killing strength."

"You can kill with a touch…" Hermione said faintly.

Harry didn't respond, instead he just looked back at her, knowing that traces of the pain he had felt when he first discovered the power of his magic were showing in his eyes.

"As a child, it never manifested itself." He said, "I suspect, though, that I saw traces of its effects in my first year when I faced Quirrel, and perhaps again with the Basilisk and at the Ministry." He said, "The attack at the Dursley's and the subsequent events, however, seemed to have…woken that part of my magic that had remained dormant. I was unable to control or contain it, I was barely aware of it after the curses…" he trailed off slightly, remembering the attack. He shook his head slightly and continued. "It was raw and untamed, and the backlash was fierce. It leveled the house and killed most of the Death Eaters there. It likely would have killed me as well, but the Founders chose that moment to pull me back to their time."

"I remember it." Albus said. "We never saw your face or any features, but we all saw and felt the storm of magic that came with you."

Harry nodded, "Apparently it took all four of the Founders to quell it enough for me to gain control. I don't know what they did, or how, and I don't even remember the event. I woke in the medical ward a number of days later."

"You're dangerous." Moody growled.

"So are you." Harry pointed out.

"It's uncontrollable." The Auror continued, his magical eye traveling up and down Harry's form.

"It's perfectly controllable, so long as you don't piss me off." Harry grumped. "The Founder's made sure that it was controlled, that I wouldn't unleash it if my emotions got the better of me. I spent five years making sure of it. The harnessing and control of this…side of my magic took up half of the training given to me by the Founders."

"That would explain why you never received a House while you were there." Albus said.

"One Founder would not have been able give me the training I needed in the amount of time available." Harry said. "All four were needed in order to put it under complete control, to refine it and harness it so that it wouldn't backfire on me and cause a massive magical backlash. They actually had to bind my magic for three months after the whole wand incident, because my magic was so out of balance and it threatened to destroy half the school."

"But…" Hermione began, "But why you? Why did you survive? I don't understand."

"No one knows." Harry shrugged. "I just did."

Harry held up a hand to stop her from asking another question. "Later, Hermione." He said, "You can ask me more later." She nodded and he turned to the eldest Weasley son. "You may come with me, but keep in mind that my magic is as dangerous to you as it is to the Death Eaters."

Bill didn't hesitate in his response, his eyes hardening into resolve. Harry admired him for that.

"I'm going."

"You're to get the prisoners out." Harry said, "Use your Order portkey and get all four of you out of there. I'll Slide out when I'm done."

Bill nodded.

"Harry." Draco said, coming to stand before him. Harry blinked at the boy's use of his name, but otherwise showed no outward reaction. He rather suspected that it took the blonde some effort to say it and admit it. "Take the serpent, you'll need the help." He said, holding Saire out to him.

"No." Harry said, though he ran a finger over the snake's scales. She hissed her pleasure to him. Draco looked at him with a mixture of emotions, his eyes narrowing. Harry shook his head, pulling his hand back. "I'll kill her." He said bluntly.

Draco blinked in shock, subconsciously pulling the serpent back out of Harry's immediate reach. The motion pleased Harry, who was reassured that the boy would care for Saire.

"She is not immune to my magic, Draco." Harry said, "If she is around my shoulders when I let the full strength of it loose it will kill her. She can survive it for longer than most because of her species, but she is not immune."

"What about Cin?" Hermione asked, nodding to Griffin sprawled across his bed.

"He is my Familiar, he is the only one who is completely immune." Harry said, "It has something to do with the bond. I don't have the time or inclination to explain it right now."

Hermione suddenly looked nervous, her eyes flickering between Harry and Bill in concern. Harry ignored it and pulled on his robe, rearranging the sword across his back to a comfortable position. A secondary check of his weapons reassured him that he had everything that he wanted.

He turned to Edward, eyeing the boy for a moment. "Will you allow me to take the image of Dreary Hold from your mind?" he asked, curious what the boy's response would be. He could just take the memory from him with ease, likely even without Ed's knowledge of the theft, but Harry preferred to ask for permission when he was able.

"With Legilimancy?" the boy asked a bit warily. Harry nodded, not bothering to give any sort of reassurance to the boy about his intentions. Ed may have been young, but he was still a Slytherin. He should be able to pick up that since Harry actually asked for permission, that he wouldn't go delving through any and all memories that struck his fancy. Then again, many Slytherins would think that it was some sort of tactic to get easy access and throw the 'victim' off his guard. Harry stopped his train of thought before he gave himself a headache.

"Yes." Edward said, swallowing a bit nervously, and raised his eyes to meet Harry's. Harry tilted the boy's chin up slightly, forcing Ed to look at him squarely. Direct eye contact eased the process, and Harry had no desire to hurt the boy or make him overly uncomfortable. He just wanted the image of the place. Edward swallowed again but met his eyes evenly, raising Harry's opinion of the boy.

Harry found the memory and image of Dreary Hold easily. Edward aided as he could, thinking of his few visits to the old manor. Harry let go of his chin and broke eye contact, pulling away as he reviewed the image.

"Bill, Cin." He said, keeping the image fresh in his mind as he called the two over. They joined him silently, one on each side of him.

"Do be careful, Darion." Albus said. "Bring them home to us."

Harry nodded, his eyes sharp and hard as he grasped his two cohorts firmly, and Slid them out of Hogwarts.

oooOoooOoooOooo


	35. Dreary Hold

**Author's Note:** My apologies with the mistake I made in the last chapter, and kudos to those who caught it! It's been fixed, and I reloaded chapter 34.

In Answer to a few Questions:

_Manatheron_, Harry's raw magic can be fatal as you said, yes. As to whether his magic was inclined to explosions and shielding before he was hit with the Avada Kedavra, its really hard to tell, simply because as an infant his magic wouldn't have been developed yet. His aura shield and the way he captured and flung spells back is a skill that he learned, the details of which will be answered within a few chapters or so.

As to Bill Weasley acting slightly out of character, I wanted him to go along with Harry (Bill's skills will come in handy a bit) and Harry wouldn't have taken him if Bill hadn't asserted himself. As to why the eldest Weasley was so adamant to go along…well, shoot, Harry didn't bother to ask him.

As to Moody seeming a bit extreme in his paranoia compared to the books, well, we really don't know all that much about the REAL Mad-Eye. Most of the information we learn about the character we gain from the impersonator, Barty Crouch Jr. in Goblet of Fire. So I felt I could take a few liberties in that area and design Moody to how I wanted him a bit. It also makes for some interesting, albeit slightly annoying, confrontations between Alastor and Darion.

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Bill, Cin." He said, keeping the image fresh in his mind as he called the two over. They joined him silently, one on each side of him.

"Do be careful, Darion." Albus said. "Bring them home to us."

Harry nodded, his eyes sharp and hard as he grasped his two cohorts firmly, and Slid them out of Hogwarts.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

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**Dreary Hold**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Blast." Harry swore violently.

The three came out of the Slide somewhere along a range of old stone fencing. Harry balanced himself on top of the narrow fence and watched as both Cin and Bill toppled to the ground outside of it. Harry didn't offer either aid to get back to their feet; instead he stood stiffly atop the fence and glared at the manor house in the small gully below.

Short, somewhat sparse trees decorated the range of land around the house, effectively camouflaging the three from obvious view. The manor wasn't overly large, but was a respectable size and sported an old-world look to it. Harry wasn't learned enough in architecture to be able to pinpoint the style of the manor, but he suspected its age would hit a century or two.

It was basic enough as far as manors went, and by its outward appearance wouldn't warrant any extra attention, especially as a Death Eater hold for prisoners. Harry couldn't quite figure out why it was called 'dreary' either, the place looked pleasant enough for the most part.

All of that was well and good, but he was supposed to be _insid_e the house, not on the outside of the _property_ looking in.

"Blast." He swore again and stepped off the stone fence.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked, searching the area around him.

"There are wards in place." Harry snarled, still glaring at the house.

"You expected them not to be?" Bill seemed surprised.

"Sliding allows me to bypass the usual wards." Harry said moodily.

"Is that what you did? I thought it felt different."

Harry didn't respond, instead he tried to identify the individual wards placed around the manor. It was heavily guarded, and it was difficult to separate the multitude of wards and spells from each other. He hadn't counted on not being able to Slide into the manor. Wards he knew, but it wasn't his strongest suit, especially in dealing with the clearly newer wards that surrounded the manor. The older wards he knew and recognized, but the newer layers were all but foreign to him. He could tear them all down easily enough, but that would alert everyone in about a three-mile radius with a rather spectacular light display.

He preferred to avoid that route if he could.

"I can't believe he actually did it." Harry grumbled darkly, still staring at the wards.

"Did what?" Bill asked a bit absently, "Who?"

Harry turned away from the wards around the house, blinking rapidly to regain his normal vision. No doubt his eyes had begun to glow with his magic as he inspected the wards. Bill was doing the same, staring off towards the direction of the manor, yet not really seeing the house itself. He was looking at the magic around it; the complicated weavings of wards and spells that protected a wizarding home. Some were standard, like muggle repelling charms, while others were far more obscure, like the ward that had stopped Harry from Sliding in; a ward that should not exist.

"Voldemort is one of the Heirs." Harry said, his voice still dark, "As such, he was granted the gift of Sliding, which is much like apparation, but can bypass the anti-apparation wards, like the ones at Hogwarts. After he lost his physical body he lost that ability, among others. He can no longer Slide, but apparently he hadn't forgotten about it." Harry crouched down behind the fence, eyeing the grounds surrounding the manor, "He had expressed interest during our time with the Founders in the creating of a ward that could repel Sliding. He never made it then, and dropped the idea." Harry waved an arm across the grounds before him, "He actually did it though."

"So, basically Voldie-shorts managed to make sure other Heirs didn't get in here, Heirs like you." Bill summed up.

Harry blinked and looked over at the redhead, a little startled – and highly amused – at the name he used. "That's about it, yes."

"So you can't get in." Bill said.

"Not by Sliding."

"You have other ways?"

"A few." Harry said with a smirk. "None nearly as easy or quick as Sliding, and I'm not sure if I can manage it without alerting someone to our presence unless I go alone."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm here then." Bill quipped.

Harry blinked at him again. Of course, the man was a Curse-Breaker, he dealt with wards for a living.

"Alright, then." Harry said, his bad mood lifting a little, "Break us in without setting something off and I'll owe you a galleon."

"You know, my pay rate is higher than that." Bill said with a smirk.

"So I'm cheap, and you're working for charity." Harry quipped back.

Bill chuckled as he sat himself down on top of the stone wall. Harry set himself up nearby, but kept his distance between himself and both Bill and the wards. He didn't want to chance messing something up with his aura or anything. With his back to a tree, Harry was able to scan most of the grounds surrounding them without worrying overmuch about his back. Cin clawed his way into the tree above him, disappearing into the foliage to keep a watch out of his own.

Harry crossed his arms across his chest and settled in to watch Bill at work. Working with wards and traps of the kinds they faced was not an easy task, and would likely take some time to complete. Harry wasn't sure what Bill had planned, but he suspected the Curse-Breaker would simply create a hole in the wards for them to enter through rather than pull down the wards that were hindering them. Either way, they had a bit of a wait before they would be able to enter the grounds or manor.

Harry swore again at the thought. Voldemort had actually managed to create a ward to repel Sliding. That did not reassure him at all. If Voldemort was able to counter one special skill of the Heirs, he could have created counters to the others. It did not bode well, especially since Harry didn't know if the Dark Lord had managed to create such magics or not.

That, and with the wards up, and the delay ahead of them, the prisoners inside would have to wait far longer than Harry liked. He hoped that the Death Eaters would wait before they started their play. He also hoped that Voldemort would not arrive before he could get them out, or at least get Bill and the prisoners out. Harry's actions would be highly hindered with the proximity of his own allies. He would have to change his plans and tactics.

Repelling the urge to swear again, Harry settled in for an apprehensive wait. Cin shifted and settled in the branches above him, apparently sensing that they would have some time before moving again.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

The sun was setting before Bill roused from the trance-like state he had fallen into. Harry's eyes flickered over to him before shifting away to the grounds again. He placed a finger over his lips to warn the Weasley to silence without looking at him. He was more interested in the increased movements from within the manor than Bill's current status.

"What's up?" Bill whispered, sidling up next to him.

"Looks like a party." Harry said wryly.

Bill watched the manor for a minute, taking in the increased amounts of light and motion from the windows. The first floor was still relatively dark, strangely, but the second floor windows were lit with a flickering light, much like mage-light or firelight. They could clearly see the shadows of figures pass before the windows.

"Any idea how many?" Bill asked.

"Upwards of a dozen." Harry said, motioning his Familiar out of the tree. Cin slid down the trunk in silence, his claws shredding the bark of the tree without a sound.

"It's difficult to tell from here." Harry said, checking the placements of his knives strapped to his upper arms. "I'll know more when we get closer."

"I've opened a door in the wards along this wall." Bill said, and pointed out an area between two trees that the fence ran along. "We should have no problems getting in and out."

"You'll be using the portkey to get out." Harry said.

Bill nodded. "Then you'll need it, unless you've a portkey on you."

"It may prove useful." He conceded. More than he preferred to admit or liked. Sliding was much easier than sprinting across a span of ground with potentially lethal spells being thrown at you all the while.

"Let's go." Harry said, approaching the hole in the wards.

"Will you be able to Slide once you're inside?" Bill asked.

"Doubtful."

Harry stepped through the 'door' that Bill had indicated, feeling the crackle of the magic as he passed through. The two followed behind him, keeping behind the sparse cover of the trees and brush. The wards may not detect them, but if any of the partygoers in the manor happened to look out the window and spot them, they would be in a world of trouble.

Harry didn't try to Slide. He didn't want to chance that the wards would detect it and send out some alarm.

"Let's try to keep this as quiet as possible." Harry grumbled, eyeing the span of yard between them and the manor. "Along that gully," Harry said, pointing to a depressed area a few spans from them, "and keep low to the brush. The dim light should aid us." He saw Bill nod out of the corner of his eye, and crept forwards, keeping to the growing shadows and the denser cover of the bushes and shrubs. The dying light of dusk would be their greatest aid in sneaking across the yard.

The going was slow, and Harry motioned them to stillness four times before they reached the shadow of the manor. He was most worried about Cin. While he and Bill both wore dull browns and grays, Cin's sleeker near-black coat tended to stand out more readily. A six-foot tall Ash Griffin isn't exactly the easiest thing to hide either; unless it was night.

Luckily for them, by the time they reached the manor's wall, it was night. A door at the corner of the building was their best option for entering. The 'guests' of the manor were all still on the upper floors, leaving the main level for the most part darkened.

"Can you tell what's on it?" Bill asked, nodding to the door.

"Only the basics." Harry said, reaching out with his senses.

"Thought you could feel magic."

"I can." Harry said, giving the man a look, "Just nothing specific."

"Good excuse for knowing things you shouldn't." Bill said with a smirk, picking up that Harry had over-exaggerated on his skills when telling the Order that he could feel magic.

Harry flashed him a grin, "Exactly."

"So can we open the door without an alarm going off?" Bill asked, his eyes scanning the grounds around them.

"The wards are set to detract and detect magical attacks and manipulations." Harry said, digging through one of his pockets. He pulled out an odd metal tool and smirked. "Thus, we'll use the good ole Muggle method."

"Pick the lock." Bill said, smirking.

"You know," Harry said, twisting the lock pick in the keyhole, "your brothers were the ones to teach me this particular skill."

"Glad to know it's being used for something other than pranks."

"Well, on occasion, I suppose." Harry said with a wicked look. "Salazar never did figure out how I could get into his rooms."

Bill's eyes lit up with amusement, and Harry pulled away from the door in triumph, letting it swing open slightly on its own.

"Voila." He whispered, eyeing the darkened hallway beyond.

They crept in silently, Cin's claws barely making noise on the carpeted floor. They were met with no resistance. Harry wasn't sure to be relieved or not by that.

The first floor was as empty as it looked from the outside. At least the hallway and rooms they passed were. Harry could sense some form of magical life nearby, but it was difficult to determine whether it was on the same level as them, or from the floor above. He did sense a small pocket of life from below, which he assumed, and hoped, were the prisoners.

It was easy enough to work their way through the darkened manor to the back of the house, where they found a simply furnished room. Four doors led into it, and it was strangely absent of windows. It was lighted, though empty.

"A servants quarters?" Bill asked softly, eyeing the tables lined with platters and serving trays. Harry nodded, sneaking up to one of the doorways in the room. A bright light leaked from the crack below the door, and from the faint sounds from beyond, Harry figured it was a kitchen of sorts.

"Some type of preparation room." Bill said, standing beside another door. Harry joined him, peeking through the slight opening. There was a stairwell that wound upwards beyond, likely to the guest hall above them. They would have to be careful, likely the room was in use for the night.

"Seems as if the party is a social affair." Bill commented, listening to the noise drifting down the stairs.

"Or they just feed themselves before they play." Harry said darkly. "I can't imagine them celebrating after their fiasco earlier. I doubt Voldemort is too terribly pleased with them." Bill snorted lightly at that.

Harry turned from the door and shot Cin a dark look along with a strong mental negative as the Griffin approached the tables. The cub froze, and turned a pleading eye towards him.

"Don't even think about it." Harry growled under his breath. The last thing he needed was a Griffin's eating habits. Cin seemed to pout, and shot the food a longing look before turning away from the tables. Harry narrowed his eyes at the cub for a moment, not quite trusting the beast to try to sneak food away when he wasn't looking.

"Someone's coming." Bill hissed.

Harry shot a look towards the door leading to the upper floor before turning and motioning for them to follow him to the last door in the room. It bore no lock, the same as the others, and it was easy enough for the three of them to slip past before they were spotted.

Harry watched the room behind them through a slit in the door. A young man carrying an empty tray entered from the upper floor. He deposited the tray on a table before picking up a full platter and disappearing upstairs again.

"Down, then?" Bill asked after a moment.

Harry turned and eyed the narrow stairwell behind them. They did, indeed, lead downwards.

"Yes."

Harry took the lead, making his way down the stairs as he stretched his senses. There were no lights, and the stairwell was dark, though that hardly hindered them as they crept down. Harry could sense at least somewhere between three and five magical signatures, though they felt muffled, as if behind a thick curtain.

Harry didn't much like what that could entail.

They met no resistance, and there were no guards, neither of which did anything to calm Harry's nerves. The basement had the look of a dungeon, and seemed to be strictly used for housing prisoners. A hallway stretched before them, much longer than the manor above it, and lined with cells. A few scattered torches burned an oily light; seeming to cast more shadows than light and giving the whole level a distinctly eerie feel.

It was utterly silent.

Harry and Bill traded a look and walked forward. The cell doors were a heavy, thick wood with only a small barred window and a catflap at the bottom. Pausing at the first, Harry peered into the dark cell beyond, noticing the gleam of metal hanging from a wall and a strong dank odor. It was empty.

Harry could feel the magic invested into the cells. Spells and wards saturated the walls and doors, effectively surrounding any prisoner that may be placed within them. No wonder the signals were so weak.

Harry motioned for Bill to check the other side as he moved on to the next door. It, too, was empty.

They both crept silently down the hall, checking each cell before moving on to the next. Cin trailed after them at a distance, his claws and back padded feet making the only noise in the hallway. It wasn't until halfway down the length of the dungeon that either found someone, and it wasn't a person they expected to find. Harry peered into the gloom of the cell, a bit shocked at the identity of the man he was sure he saw slumped against the far wall.

"Well, this explains a few things." Harry commented. The figure in the cell shifted and raised his head, matted red hair parting to let his eyes show. Harry would recognize that hair color anywhere.

"Bill." Harry said, still not taking his eyes from the man. He saw a slight flash of emotion from his eyes before they returned to their previous dullness. Bill joined him at the door and Harry shifted to the side slightly so that the older man could peer into the cell. Bill let out a sharp gasp and grabbed the bars, staring into the gloom of the cell avidly.

"Percy?"

Harry heard a croaked sound come from the Weasley boy in the cell, and placed a hand on Bill's shoulder.

"Take down the wards here, I'll find the others." He said. Bill nodded and Harry moved away down the hall, feeling the shift in magic as the Curse-Breaker began working on the spells keeping his brother prisoner.

Harry found Neville and Luna first, both in the same cell, slumped against each other against the far wall. They looked to be mostly uninjured, albeit uncomfortable and most likely not a little scared. Neville spotted him first, no doubt due to Harry's form blocking their only light source.

"Alright?" Harry asked.

"Ha…Darion?" Neville's voice was a bit shaky.

"Ah, it's me." Harry said, stepping back a bit to get a better look at the wards and spells over the door. "You guys alright?"

"Yea, we're alright." Neville's voice floated through the door. "Luna's arm may be broken, and they took our wands."

"Well, that's expected." Harry mumbled. "Hold on a minute." He felt out the wards for a moment, trying to figure out some of the intricacies and weavings of the various spells. There were a multitude of spells, from basic reinforcings to locking and wardings. He couldn't determine the specific incantations used, but he didn't really need to.

Harry took a deep breath, took a careful hold of the magics around the door and pulled.

The wards shuddered violently, shaking the door on its hinges. A moment later the spells on the door collapsed shattering in a shower of violet, red and orange sparks. Harry closed his eyes against the onslaught, but otherwise didn't move. When the worst of the spell light faded Harry pushed the heavy wooden door open.

"You know, there are more subtle ways of taking down wards." Bill's voice floated over to him. Harry tilted his head to the side to take in the eldest Weasley. Bill was supporting his brother, who looked terribly thin and weak.

Harry scowled. "I don't like wards." He grumbled darkly. "Never did have the patience to pull them down without a light show."

"More light than I've seen since we got here." Neville commented, stepping into the doorway a bit cautiously.

"Did they harm you?" Bill asked.

Neville shrugged, "They stunned us in the village. We woke up here alone. Haven't seen anyone since, though we've been waiting for it, with all the noise upstairs."

Harry nodded, taking in the ruffled state of the two kids. Luna was silent, though that wasn't terribly unusual for her, and cradling her left arm to her chest. She still had her glasses, and was gazing at the two Weasley brothers with her familiar far away look. Harry figured she would be just fine. Neville's robes looked a little torn, likely from the dueling in Hogsmeade, but otherwise seemed to be in one piece as well.

"Bill," Harry started.

"I got them, go get Snape."

Harry nodded and turned away from them, stalking down the corridor and looking into each cell, searching out the last of their allies. He found him at the end of the hall, in the last cell.

There were no torches at the end, casting the hall and cells into darkness. Casting a quick but dim lumos spell Harry peered into the cell.

Snape was in rougher shape than the others, Percy included, and was the only one actually restrained in his cell. Harry wasn't too terribly surprised. None of the Death Eaters would willingly treat Snape civilly simply because he had betrayed Voldemort.

Harry dealt with the spells on the door in the same manner as the last one, however there were a few extra layers of wards he had to pull down, causing the backlash of magic to be quite violent and rather spectacular.

He also felt a lingering magic that shot off somewhere above him.

"Bill!" Harry called back to them, "get over here, that gave off some sort of signal. You guys need to get out of here."

Bill nodded and the small group made their way down the hall, Percy still supported by his brother. Harry turned his attention to his Master. Snape was awake, though he didn't seem to be completely lucid, or else he was in some amount of pain.

Harry quickly knelt by him, inspecting the chains wrapped around his wrists and tied to the wall above his head. They were simple enough, and a basic severing charm freed him.

"Master Snape?" Harry asked, watching the man's face closely. Snape nodded, his eyes darting around to meet his. "Can you stand?"

Snape nodded again and Harry helped the man to his feet with a hand under his arm. The man wavered for a moment, but was able to keep his balance enough that Harry didn't have to carry him or support his full weight.

"Bill's got a portkey." Harry said as he guided the man out of the cell. "You'll all take it directly back to Hogwarts."

"Bill?" Snape croaked.

"Bill Weasley." Harry said a bit absently, his senses picking something up that he couldn't quite identify.

The others met him just outside the cell. Harry motioned his Griffin over, handing Snape's shaking form over to his Familiar. Cin supported the man without complaint, even going so far as to wrap a wing around him to help Snape keep his balance. Harry decided he'd deal with his slight surprise at that later.

"Something's up." Harry said to Bill, looking around him at the dim hallway. He couldn't put his finger on what, but his instincts tended to be correct.

"Right, let's go then." Bill said, pulling a thick sock out of his pocket. Harry did a double take at the item as it registered, a bit surprised and not a little bemused at the item.

"Albus gave you that, didn't he?" Harry asked, eyeing the sock.

Bill scowled and shot him a look. Harry chuckled lightly, watching the hallway as the others gathered around the eldest Weasley. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was up. They needed to get out of there before the party upstairs showed up downstairs.

"You coming, Darion?" Neville asked, pushing Luna next to the Weasleys and making room for Cin and Snape.

Harry turned from his inspection of the corridor to look at Neville. He didn't bother to say anything. He rather thought that his distance from the portkey spoke enough. Neville figured it out quickly enough.

"Darion?"

"I've something to do." Harry said without infliction, turning his attention back to the corridor.

"But…"

"Leave him, Mr. Longbottom." Snape said, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. Harry turned his head enough to eye his Master out of the corner of his eye. Snape stared back with one of his patented unreadable looks. The trace of blood on one of his brows did little to detract from its intensity. Harry wasn't sure what Snape was thinking, but he wasn't about to argue. No doubt the man would question him about it later. Harry nodded slightly to him, acknowledging that his Master had given him express permission to do what he wanted at Dreary Hold. Harry suspected that Snape had an idea what he had planned anyways.

"Get them out of here, Bill." Harry said, turning his gaze to the eldest Weasley. Bill nodded, holding the sock out so that everyone could reach it. They all grabbed a hold of it, Neville casting him a worried glance before touching a finger to the portkey. Bill took on Snape's weight to his other side, allowing the Griffin to step away so that he wouldn't be taken with them.

"In four," Bill mumbled, activating the portkey. Harry nodded and glanced back down the corridor, spotting a flicker of shadow at the entrance. A barrage of spell light suddenly shot out at them, blocking Harry's view of their newly arrived company.

"Get out, now!" Harry said, throwing up a shield. He felt the spells approaching, feeling the destructive nature of them even if he couldn't directly identify them. He vaguely recognized the full activation of a portkey behind him, just as the spells connected and the hall exploded.

The strength of the spells against him wasn't enough to crack his hasty shield but he couldn't keep his feet rooted to the ground, and felt himself fly backwards through the air, a shower of stone raining down around him.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Author's Note:** Wow…I really know how to put off a confrontation don't I? And all these cliff-hangers… Mwa-ha-ha…anticipation and suspense!!


	36. Do Not Mistake Us

**Author's Note:** A couple responses!

_Jessie237_, you mentioned that Harry seems to take the Apprenticeship a little too seriously for his personality. Harry takes some things very seriously, but many things he doesn't so much. He holds a lot of respect for the Founders (though he wouldn't likely admit it for Salazar), and for Snape. He has the habit of playing the Marauder and tends to hide most of his more serious emotions; a side effect of his life with the Dursley's most likely.

_Cubdom_, You're right in that Harry seems a bit 'superpowered', but he's not in essence. He is more powerful than average and he has a few handy skills but he can't do anything or everything. He's just really good at hiding what his weaknesses are. That's the Slytherin in him.

Also, so far in the story he hasn't really been challenged to his full extent. He knows how to deal with a handful of opponents shooting spells at him (that's where his aura tornado effect comes in) but there are things he isn't fully prepared to face. We'll begin to see some of his weaknesses coming up.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Get out, now!" Harry said, throwing up a shield. He felt the spells approaching, feeling the destructive nature of them even if he couldn't directly identify them. He vaguely recognized the full activation of a portkey behind him, just as the spells connected and the hall exploded.

The strength of the spells against him wasn't enough to crack his hasty shield but he couldn't keep his feet rooted to the ground, and felt himself fly backwards through the air, a shower of stone raining down around him.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Do Not Mistake Us**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry groaned slightly under the weight of his shield. Shaking his head slightly in attempt to clear the stars circling his brow he managed to figure out exactly _why_ his shield felt so unusually heavy.

It was the only thing between him and a thick layer of fallen rock, which he figured used to be the ceiling, or perhaps the walls.

Giving his body a quick check over, he made his way to his feet, none the worse for wear after the violent explosion. The magic of his ward shimmered slightly as it struggled to move with him, lighting his immediate area with blue sparks of magelight. He was completely surrounded by fallen rock and sections of wall and ceiling. One side of his impromptu prison was one of the thick wooden cell doors, slightly buckled and splintered under the weight of the rock above it, and his shield pressing in on its center.

Cin was not within his shield, and a quick scan of his senses proved that his Familiar was not even in the area.

However he wasn't alone.

"Neville?" Harry started slightly at the sight of the boy, curled up in small corner created between the outer edge of his shield and a slab of rock.

"Darion?" Neville asked, uncurling from his near fetal position a bit. Harry spotted the boy's eyes as he peeked out from under his arms.

"You're bloody lucky to be alive, you know that." Harry stated, physically pulling the kid through the barrier of his shield. The shield crackled in protest as the boy passed through it, sending a spray of sparks out around them. A shower of small stones and dust fell into the space the boy vacated. "You alright?"

Neville stood shakily, as if unsure of his footing. "I…I think so."

"Nothing broken, or anything?" Harry asked, scanning the boy and not really listening for a response, trusting his own senses a bit more than the boy's somewhat shaky statements. Neville stammered out something about being fine as Harry concluded that the kid didn't bear any more wounds than he had before.

"What happened?" Neville asked, staring around the small bubble of ruined dungeon.

"The party upstairs decided to switch venues." Harry grumbled a bit sourly, sitting himself down cross-legged in the center of his shield. The ward shifted again with his movement, sending more sparks falling around his head. The shift of the magical shield caused the stones around them to shift, their edges grinding against each other.

Harry eyed the stones around them for a moment, slightly uncomfortable at the weight of the shield on him. The ward would hold the stone and rubble above them, but he had to continue to support the magic of the shield, which was a bit of a tiring process.

"Give me a moment." Harry said, reassured that his shield was in one piece.

Neville nodded and Harry closed his eyes, searching out the bond with his Familiar. A moment later he received a faint acknowledgement from the Griffin along with a flurry of images and emotions. Harry returned a slightly irritated feeling to the cub for his hap-hazard communication habits as he sorted through the mess Cin sent to him.

Visions of Dreary Hold's dungeon collapsing around them under the barrage of spells blurred into the chaotic whirlwind of a portkey and finally cleared to the sterile view of Hogwarts Infirmary. The strongest image was that of a bustling medi-witch shooting disapproving looks to the griffin while she hovered over the group portkeyed out of the manor, and a heavy feeling of discontentment at being cooped up in the castle.

Harry sent the disgruntled cub a soothing feeling, though he was pretty sure that Cin received some of his amusement as well. If there was anything that the small Griffin disliked, it was being left behind while Harry got to fight.

"Well," Harry said, rising to his feet again, "Seems as if Cin managed to take your place at the portkey."

"They're ok?"

"I'm not sure about that…" Harry said, amused, "They're all stuck under Pomfrey's eye, now."

Harry shot Neville a grimace followed by an easy smile, which seemed to relax the boy a bit. "They're fine." Harry reassured.

"That's good."

Harry spread his senses out again, feeling the faint traces of magic from the barrage of destructive spells on the rocks around him and farther beyond that the tell-tale signs of magic-wielding life forms.

"There's at least seven of them at the end of the hall near the stairs." Harry said, "And somewhere near a dozen above, though I'm not sure if they're all fighters or not."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure if the party was a social affair or some sort of Death Eater gathering." Harry said as he checked his various weapons. He had managed to lose three of his throwing stars and two knives, not that it would hinder him much, but it rankled him none-the-less. He was comforted though, that he had not lost Gryffindor's sword when he got flung around the collapsing corridor. "Considering their overall failure at Hogsmeade earlier, I'm more inclined to believe that it was a social or political party not directly related to Voldemort and his posse, which means that not all of them may raise their wands against us."

"Oh."

Harry paused and took a good look at the boy hunched next to him. Neville was taller than him, though he seemed to want to curl in on himself, making him seem shorter and wider than he really was. Harry, however, had seen the boy stand upright before, and knew that while Neville was soft spoken and inclined to a quiet existence with his plants he could bear the famed Gryffindor courage like the best of lions.

Harry knew just what would give the boy the spark of strength that he needed to face their situation.

"Do you know how to wield a sword, Neville?" Harry asked, watching the boy closely. He suspected the answer, but asked it anyways. Neville started, and stared back at him in slight surprise.

"Yea, Gram made me take lessons since I was a kid."

"Do you know why?"

Neville audibly swallowed, then nodded. Harry saw the boy's shoulders lift a bit. "Yes. She told me this past summer."

"Good."

Harry turned and faced the boy squarely, pulling the sword from its position slung across his back. He held it out horizontally between them, the thin blade nestled securely in its gilded scabbard. Neville's eyes widened in recognition at the sight of the sword's handle and scabbard.

"I, as a Founder's Heir," Harry stated in a soft formal tone, "of a blood line to Godric Gryffindor, of a magical line to Salazar Slytherin, and as the Lord of the House's Potter and Black, present to you, Heir, the Sword of Gryffindor."

Neville reached out hesitantly, his hand hovering over the hilt of the sword. Harry didn't move, waiting for the boy to accept the sword as was his right. Neville's father, Frank, was the true Lord of Gryffindor, but as the man was unable to take up his role as the Lord, Neville was the next in line. The boy was yet too young to accept the full range of duties that the Lordship required, but the Sword of Gryffindor hardly cared what age its Lord was. That had been proven in Harry's second year by the simple act of him drawing the thing from the hat. Harry was not a direct Heir, but he held Gryffindor's blood just the same, which allowed him to wield the sword, though the blade would never fully accept him with a more direct line able to claim it.

That line was the Longbottom's.

Neville took a deep breath and grasped the scabbard of the sword with a sure hand. Harry released the sword, feeling the traces of magic in the blade working to bind itself to Neville as soon as his hand left it.

"May you wield it with skill, and may it serve you well." Harry said softly.

Neville lifted his chin with pride, his shoulders straightening and his face hardening into determined resolve as he buckled the strap around his hip.

Harry nodded in approval. It had been too many years since Gryffindor had an active Lord. Neville would fill the role well.

"No matter what happens," Harry said intensely, "Do not touch me."

Neville started and stared at him. Harry let the hold on his magic loosen and his hand began to glow, the green shade of his aura lighting their area eerily. The boy stared at his hand as his magic became stronger and green flames flickered around his palm.

"It will kill you if it touches you." Harry said. "I can control it to an extent, but if you suddenly touch me and I am unprepared for it, I cannot stop the reaction that will occur. You won't likely survive it."

Neville nodded, taking a step back and looking slightly wary of him. Harry watched him for a moment before nodding as well and turning to face the general direction of the stairs. He didn't like to scare his friends, but he wanted less to harm them because they didn't know of what he could do. His magic would kill Neville before Harry was even aware that the kid had touched him. Better to scare the boy than for Neville not to fully understand the consequences.

"That sword has natural defensive magics." Harry said softly, raising his hand to point down towards the stairs through the rock. "When you get a chance, grab a few wands, though."

"Alright." Neville said.

Harry heard the whistle of the sword being pulled from its sheath, and sure that Neville was ready to defend himself at least, he turned his attention to blasting a way through the rock around them.

The wonderful thing about having the cores of two wands imbedded into his arms – despite the painful process – was that he could easily cast multiple spells at once, a feat near impossible for most wizards with a single wand, and difficult for those even bearing two.

Dropping the front and habit of speaking the words of spells, Harry simply cast them without opening his mouth. Holding his shield strongly, he let loose two spells, one directly after the other.

The first was a bright orange, and charged through the rock and collapsed walls before him with a violent crash, sending stone and debris flying forward. The second followed after with hardly a distinction between them, though its color and purpose was different. It followed in the tunnel made by the first and burst out of the end of the corridor, bowling into the Death Eaters at the stairs.

Harry followed his spells with three throwing stars, two of which hit flesh as the third was luckily dodged, lodging in the wall next to one of the Death Eaters' heads. They served their purpose, however, as the Death Eaters weren't prepared for Harry's presence directly before them. He stood not two meters from them, his arms crossed over his chest. He stared them down, knowing that the intensity in his eyes would likely unnerve them.

Five were still standing, one clutching his arm where a star was lodged deeply into the bone. Harry all but dismissed him, he would be dead without any further help. His throwing stars were coated with poisons.

"Let us go, and you might just live through the night." Harry warned. He really didn't expect them to let him and Neville go, but he figured it would only be fair to give them the option.

"You should just give up and die, Potter." One of them said. Harry didn't recognize the voice.

Harry didn't bother to respond, he simply let his magic begin to flame up along his arms. The energy of his magic crackled and flickered like a strange mix between lightning and fire as it lined his forearms.

"Avada Kedavra!" one of the Death Eaters called. The green light of the spell matched the color of his aura perfectly, and Harry did nothing but bat it away with his arm. The killing curse ricocheted off his arm and shot off back to its caster.

The man was too surprised to dodge. His own curse crashed back into his chest, and he collapsed against the wall behind him.

Harry felt his arm tremble, and the magic flair slightly at his wavering control. He clenched his fist tightly, forcing the wild magic under his control through sheer force of will. His arm tingled painfully, but he ignored it.

"Very well." Harry said, eyeing the remaining four darkly. They stood close to each other, blocking his way up the stairwell behind them. The fifth, with the star in his arm, was leaning heavily against the wall and looked about ready to collapse. He let out a weak moan and slid to the floor, his head rolling forward heavily. His movement distracted one of the others closest to him.

As the man turned to eye his fallen companion, Harry struck.

His magic whipped out from his right arm in a vicious ark of flame and lightning, striking one of the Death Eaters directly across the chest. He toppled to the floor, his body crashing into the one kneeling behind him, sending them both down.

The last standing Death Eater let out a wordless yell and charged at him.

Caught slightly off guard, Harry brought his arms up defensively, blocking the man's punch to his face, but missing the desperate kick to his leg. Harry staggered, the muscles in his thigh clenching painfully at the blow.

He stepped back, watching as the man slouched to the ground at his feet.

That side of his magic would kill, even if he didn't direct it to do so.

Harry pulled the magic back into himself, forcing the wild power to settle and calm. The flames around his arms flickered as if angered but then died out, the green glow fading from his arms. He was never glad to kill. He tried to ignore the cold tremor that made its way down his spine. The Unforgiveables were named such as much for their effects on the caster as for their results on the victim.

Harry took a deep breath, taking in the remaining Death Eater.

"Get out of here." Harry growled, his temper far shorter than usual.

The man stared at him through his mask for a moment before scrambling to his feet and racing up the stairs. Harry watched him go, glad that the man had taken his advice. He really didn't want to kill him.

"Oy, I found our wands!"

Harry turned his head to spot Neville kneeling over one of the fallen Death Eaters. From the blood pooling beneath his head, Harry figured that the man had gotten struck with a rock or something else equally heavy. Neville held up three wands triumphantly.

Harry nodded. "Good, let's go."

Harry started up the stairs, hearing Neville scramble to his feet and follow behind him.

They met no one as they moved up the stairs and through the first floor of the manor. Harry could hear frenzied whispers coming from the kitchen, but his senses told him that none were magical. He passed them by without bothering them. No doubt the hired help had gotten enough of a scare that night.

Harry led them up the main stairs at the front of the manor, paying little attention to his surroundings, past making sure that he wasn't about to walk onto an enchanted rug or other cursed object. He could feel a strong magical signature left in the manor, a magical signature that he recognized.

The main stairwell led to an ornate landing on the second floor, facing a large set of double doors. They stood open, leading to a large room.

The hall beyond was impressive, though Harry thought it a bit gaudy. It was lined with torches, only half of which were lit, creating a dim lighting in the chamber. Chairs and tables lined the walls, no doubt for use during a party or other gathering.

One of the armed chairs had been pulled closer to the center of the room, and it was not empty.

"Is that…Malfoy?" Neville whispered. Harry glanced over at the boy before returning his attention to the blonde aristocrat.

"Stay here." He told Neville as he entered the hall, not waiting for an answer from the boy.

Harry stalked the chair like a predator, his eyes never leaving the aristocrat. Lucius watched him back, following his progress a bit warily.

Lucius was seated primly in the high-backed chair, or as primly as he could, slouching may have been more appropriate. Either way the blonde was struggling to stay upright, his hands clenched tightly around the arms of the chair. Harry could see the man's muscles trembling under the strain.

"You haven't figured it out then." Harry commented darkly, "The cut is yet unhealed."

Lucius didn't verbally respond, but his eyes narrowed and his lips twitched.

"Or did you happen to identify the poison, and just don't know the antidote?" Harry said, pausing to eye the cut across the man's cheek. He continued his slow circling of the man, flickering his eyes briefly over to see Neville hovering on the threshold, watching the proceedings with some curiosity.

"Voldemort would recognize it." Harry said as he came around to the man's side again. "I wonder; would he give you the antidote?"

Harry paused directly in front of Lucius, intrigued at the man's expression. The aristocrat was adept at hiding his emotions, but the man's eyes gave away the distinctive feeling of unexpected betrayal.

"He didn't give it to you then." Harry said, his tone holding a note of grim finality to it. "Why not? You were his most faithful, were you not? His right hand, a glorious position to a Dark Lord." Harry began circling again, his intense gaze locked onto the blonde in his chair. "And yet he found you unworthy of saving. How intriguing."

Lucius still said nothing, his jaw clenched tightly before the words Harry knew the man yearned to spit out.

"Well," Harry said from behind the man, "then I can hardly fault your Lord's decision. Clearly you do not deserve the antidote, so I shall not save you."

"You are just like him." Lucius ground out. Harry paused in his circling, standing to the man's side.

"Coming from such a loyal Death Eater I should be proud to be compared to his great Lord." Harry said not a little mockingly.

Lucius appeared to have regained control of his jaw and had it again firmly clenched shut. Harry narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly lunged forward, trapping the blonde into his chair. Harry's arms braced his weight on top of Lucius' arms on the chair, and he shoved his face into the man's own.

"Do not mistake me for the monster you call master, Lucius." Harry hissed dangerously into the blonde's ear. "I may have the means to save your life but you forget that I was the one who cut you. Do you truly think that I did not know what coated my blades? Do you think that I did not wish you dead when I pulled my knife?"

Lucius' eyes narrowed and the muscles of his jaw clenched tighter. Harry sneered.

"What of the master you so willingly and faithfully serve? Why doesn't he save you, Lucius? Why doesn't he gift his most loyal follower with the antidote I know he has?"

Harry hissed wordlessly into the man's ear and then backed away from him as suddenly as he had approached. He stood a few paces away, turned to the side, and looked around the room absently.

"No, do not mistake us, Lucius." Harry said softly, "We may both willingly kill our enemies, but never would I leave an ally to death if I had the means to save him. Besides, even if I wanted to, I could not save you now. You were dead within two hours of receiving that cut on your cheek. The antidote would no longer save you even if I was willing to give it."

Harry glanced back over at Lucius. The blonde was no longer able to hold himself to the prim seating he wished to keep. The poison had sapped much of his strength. He would not live long.

His eyes, however, still held the feeling of betrayal.

"So you saw him within the time limits." Harry said absently. Voldemort had the ability to save the man, yet the Dark Lord had not done so. Harry didn't want to even try to figure out the reasoning Riddle had used for that one.

Harry eyed the man before him for a moment.

"You may or may not be curious to know that your son will not suffer your fate." Harry said, watching the man with some curiosity. "His allies do not leave their own to painful deaths."

It took the aristocrat a moment to process the true meaning behind Harry's words, but it was clear that the man fully understood. Draco had chosen to side with the light, with Harry Potter. Lucius' son had forsaken his father's teachings.

Lucius struggled within the chair, his eyes blazing his fury as he stood shakily. He drew his wand with clumsy, shaking fingers and had every intent on lunging at Harry with the killing curse on his lips.

Harry didn't bother to move or even react. He simply watched dispassionately as Lucius stumbled to his knees, his wand clattering to the floor. The man no longer had the strength to stand. He would not be able to cast any spells. Lucius choked and gasped, his body trembling as it gave out. His arms collapsed under him and he crashed to the floor, his eyes wide as he lost all control of his body.

"So much alike." The blonde gasped out, his eyes intense as they locked onto Harry's own.

Harry watched as the man gasped for breath and was unable to breathe. His silver eyes glazed over and a moment later the tremors ceased. Harry stared hard at the man, his mind and emotions whirling slightly.

Lucius Malfoy was dead, by his own Lord's reluctance to heal him of an injury gained by an enemy.

"No, do not mistake us." Harry whispered to the empty room.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Author's Note:** gah…graduating semesters are sooo busy!

Coming up sometime in the next half a dozen or so chapters: Harry's greatest weakness, a returned Weasley, and no, I haven't forgotten that mangy, run-away statue!

Oh, and you can be sure that Snape isn't terribly pleased with Harry for that singing charm despite Harry saving his greasy arse from his vindictive former colleagues.


	37. Searching for Peace

**Author's Note:** So the semester's classes are over, I graduated (yay!) and just got back from a month out of the country. And it took me far to long to get my brain to focus back on HP and the gang and get this chapter finished! Good enough reason for me not to have posted for a while? So I doubt you all want to hear me babble and want to know what's gonna happen, so here's the chapter with some apologies about making you all wait so darn long.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"So much alike." The blonde gasped out, his eyes intense as they locked onto Harry's own.

Harry watched as the man gasped for breath and was unable to breathe. His silver eyes glazed over and a moment later the tremors ceased. Harry stared hard at the man, his mind and emotions whirling slightly.

Lucius Malfoy was dead, by his own Lord's reluctance to heal him of an injury gained by an enemy.

"No, do not mistake us." Harry whispered to the empty room.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Searching for Peace**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry slid the two of them back to Hogwarts, letting the slide go as they approached the main gates to the school grounds rather than force his way through the wards surrounding the castle. He stumbled slightly as he let go of the magic, but regained his balance and control quickly enough. Though, apparently not quick enough to avoid Neville's notice.

"You alright, mate?" the boy asked, his light brown eyes displaying his worry.

Harry nodded, cringing inside at his slip in control.

"Are you sure?" Neville stated.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

Harry paused and looked at the boy next to him. Neville had always been hesitant in pushing people, seemingly not wanting to upset them. Yet the boy was clearly standing his ground on the matter, which threw Harry for a bit of a loop. He hadn't expected a strong stand from Neville.

He probably should have.

"Even you have limits, you know." Neville said, keeping a close eye on him. Harry scowled slightly.

"I'm fine."

"Darion…"

"I said I'm fine." Harry said a bit more sharply than he wanted to. He sighed. "At least I will be. I'm just tired."

Neville watched him for another moment before nodding and turning toward the castle. Harry waited a moment before following the boy. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Harry using the time to pull himself under better control. He did not need to loose control of his magic, especially anywhere near Hogwarts.

Harry and Neville returned to Hogwarts without any further fanfare.

At least until they walked into the Infirmary and Poppy Pomfrey caught sight of them.

"Sit!" she hollered. Harry winced slightly, eyeing the beds lining the walls of the Infirmary with barely contained distaste. He had no desire to spend any amount of time in the Infirmary, wounded or no.

Neville all but sat down were he stood.

Pomfrey bustled around the boy, guiding him to one of the beds and mumbling over him as she began casting spells. Harry watched them for a moment, distantly amused, before scanning the rest of the room.

Percy was laid in one of the far beds, apparently asleep. His brother, Bill sat in the chair next to him, watching him like his own mother would. Harry didn't blame him. He figured it was only a matter of time before the majority of the Weasley clan invaded the medical ward. Luna rested quietly on a bed not far from them, twirling her wand between her fingers and staring out of the windows a bit dreamily.

"Mister Longbottom!" Pomfrey's voice nearly screeched across the chamber. "What in Merlin's name are you doing with THAT?"

Harry had a feeling that he already knew what her problem was. Medi-witches tended to not much like weapons, especially swords, and most especially in their domain. Turning to take in the sight of a slightly nervous Neville and an indignant Pomfrey, Harry sighed. He really wasn't in the mood to play mediator. Neville had a firm grip on Gryffindor's Sword in the face of the Medi-Witch standing over him like some kind of wild thunder cloud. Harry rather thought that the kid was terribly brave for that.

Harry figured he really should do something considering he was the one who gave the sword to the kid in the first place. He really wasn't in the mood.

"Madam Pomfrey." He said, his voice stern and commanding; moreso than he really wanted it to be, but he couldn't bring himself to moderate his tone. The witch paused in her rant, startled, and turned to him in slight surprise.

"Mr. Elddir…"

"As one of a blood line to a Founder and a future Lord of his House, Neville Longbottom has every right to carry the signs of his Houses, including the Sword of Gryffindor." Harry said bluntly.

Harry stared at her a moment longer, knowing that he likely didn't look too terribly nice – or perfectly healthy to her standards – but not really caring. Pomfrey swallowed a bit heavily, looking about ready to protest but then thought better of it. She pursed her lips and turned back to her medical scans, grumbling in aggravation. Neville stared at him in slight surprise before being distracted by the Medi-Witch mumbling over him and her slight of hand attempts to divest him of the sword. Harry took one last look around the room, noticing that his Familiar wasn't present and neither was the Founder in her portrait.

He was through the door when he heard Pomfrey yell his name. He ignored her. He wasn't in a pleasant mood, and he wasn't about to spend any more time in the Infirmary than he had to. Pomfrey had enough patients to distract her for a while, and she would have to play host to a clan of Weasley's before she would have time to hunt him down for a check up.

Harry headed into the bowels of the castle, avoiding the few straggling students that were rushing to make it to their dorms by curfew.

Following the link with his Familiar, he wandered through the halls of the castle, not really paying much attention to his route or surroundings. After an indeterminate amount of time he found himself in a disused maintenance corridor somewhere above the main stairwell of the school.

On one side of the catwalk type hall was the top half of a large stained-glass window overlooking the school grounds. Harry could see the main gates in the distance, and the top edges of the taller buildings of Hogsmeade through the colored glass, silhouetted by the setting sun. Behind him was a rickety iron railing, serving as a haphazard attempt to prevent wandering students from falling into the tall airshaft below.

Harry leaned precariously out over the rail, looking down the many stories of moving stairs and seemingly random doorways that lined the four walls of the shaft. The rail creaked and groaned under his weight, but held firm, no doubt due to generous amounts of magic. He almost felt dizzy at the height and angle of his view. He pulled himself back and settled himself on the floor, slouching against the window. With his back to the large window, he could see the ever-changing play of light on the stone walls and rib-vaulted ceiling of the stair well before him.

It had been his favorite spot during his time with the Founders. It was his place to go and get away from the hustle of the other students and Heirs and be alone with his thoughts. It was his escape.

A large furred form settled next him, though he didn't take his eyes from the light and colors cast on the walls. He knew that it was his Familiar. He rested a hand on Cin's back, feeling soft fur and feathers beneath his fingers. Cin shifted, resting his head on his leg. A soft purr soon sounded around them, though Harry felt it more than he heard it. Harry smiled slightly, his ever shortening temper and bad mood fading and feeling more at peace than he had since he arrived back to his own time.

He let his thoughts wander without really thinking about anything, enjoying the time of silence and the chance to relax. He needed the rest and peace, for both his body and his mind.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Harry wasn't sure how long he had been secluded at the top of the stairwells, but it had grown dark by the time his brain waked up enough to notice such things. Cin was still purring softly, the subtle vibrations of the cub traveled up through his leg, a comfortable presence.

That's when he noticed another presence. There was no sound, whoever it was stepped quietly and breathed shallow enough that Harry couldn't hear them, but he could still sense their magic.

"Who's there?" Harry asked quietly, not in the mood to wait for the person. Harry heard a shuffle of feet and a sudden exhalation of breath, as if startled.

"Ss, sorry, Darion." A voice stumbled. Harry heard the person shuffle again, and a faint glow of light came around the corner, lighting up the catwalk and throwing shadows over the walls and ceiling around them. A figure closely followed the glow of mage light.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you or anything." The boy said, looking terribly nervous.

"It's not a problem, Neville." Harry said, blinking in the sudden light. "Come sit down, why don't you."

"Ah, sure, thanks." Neville moved out of the doorway and shuffled across the catwalk, eyeing the shaky rail next him with some trepidation. He sat down next to him, seeming a bit nervous about the idea of leaning against the window. Cin lifted his head enough to take in the newcomer before returning to his nap. Harry petted the cub, smiling slightly at the increased volume in the purring that echoed around them.

"Pomfrey actually let you out of her sights?" Harry asked, his voice quiet but still managing to carry his amusement.

"Ah, well sort of." Neville hedged, still eyeing the iron rail.

"Sort of?"

"Well, she didn't say that I could go, but then she didn't exactly say that I couldn't either." Neville said a bit quickly, "And then the Weasley's all came in and she got distracted and I really didn't think that I needed to stay or anything, I mean I wasn't really hurt or anything, and since she was busy I…just left."

Harry turned his head to take in the boy next to him with no little amount of bemusement. Neville seemed to be pondering his last statement with a mixture of shock and disbelief, as if he couldn't quite believe that he left the Infirmary without being shooed away by its matron.

"Congratulations." Harry said with a light chuckle.

"For what?"

"For managing to sneak our from under Pomfrey's nose." Harry said, "She always manages to catch me just as I walk out the door, then I'm forced to run for my life…or at least my sanity."

"Oh."

Harry glanced over at him, still a bit amused by the boy's reactions. Neville seemed to have just realized that he had actually managed some great feat, and in Harry's opinion, he had. The boy was likely just lucky that Helga hadn't been in her portrait to send up an alarm when he walked out the door.

A comfortable silence fell, and Harry let his head rest back on the cool panes of glass behind him. Neville's magelight flickered slightly, like a small flame, casting soft shifting shadows over the walls. Harry didn't know how the boy managed to find him at the top of the castle, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. He was surprisingly grateful for the silent company. Neville had always been a good companion.

"That wasn't exactly apparation, was it?" Neville asked suddenly.

Harry looked away from the mesmerizing shadow-play to the boy next to him, taking a minute to figure out what he was talking about. "No."

"What was it?"

"It's called Sliding," Harry said, letting his eyes drift back to the shadows on the walls, "It's a gift of a Founders' Heir, it allows me to bypass wards and such."

Neville was silent, seemingly satisfied. Harry was only slightly surprised that Neville approached him about the subject. The boy was quiet and seemed insecure and clumsy, but he had a good head. He just didn't broadcast that fact too often. "Then why did we stop at the gates?"

Harry didn't respond right away, slightly uncomfortable with revealing his growing weakness. He had purposefully not gone through the heavy wards surrounding the school. While he could have carried himself through, he was toting Neville as well. Neville, not being an Heir did not have the gift of Sliding. Harry could have brought the boy through the wards into any part of the castle with only a moderate amount of effort, but he had been overdoing his boundaries as it was. If he had forced the both of them through such wards as Hogwarts held, he would have risked loosing control, and he could not take such a risk.

"Because, as you said, even I have limits." He said finally.

Harry could feel Neville's eyes on him, watching and studying, but he feigned nonchalance, debating with himself whether to give him more information. He knew that Neville would not betray him, and would keep anything he said to himself if asked. But it was Harry's own ingrained reluctance to let people in that made him pause. He was unused to confiding in others, especially about his weaknesses.

"My aura," Harry began a bit hesitantly, his eyes flickering over to the boy next to him, "Is extremely deadly, as you now know."

Neville nodded, his attention completely on him.

"It is not exactly benign to me, either." Harry said softly. "It is a direct result of me surviving the Killing Curse from Voldemort when I was a babe. That incident changed my magical make-up, making it deadly when in its raw form, just like the Killing Curse."

"But to you as well?" Neville asked.

Harry looked over at him, seeing the slight horror in the boy's face and eyes. He had a strange feeling of déjà vu, remembering his own face every time he looked in a mirror after he had heard the very thing he was telling Neville.

"Yes." Harry said quietly, turning his eyes back to the shifting shadows.

Neville was silent beside him.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Author's Note:** Oy, see, I'm not dead! This chapter is a little bit shorter than I like, but frankly, I liked ending it there. Heh.

Thank you everyone for your reviews! I really do read them all (no joke) and I love them. They make me keep writing. Awesome.

By the way, in case you don't know, I started posting a series of one-shot type stories titled "The Founders' Four", which detail Harry's time with the Founders and the other Heirs. So far there's nothing too terribly interesting, but I've got all sorts of ideas. If anyone has requests, let me know!


	38. A Founder's Counsel Part One

**Author's Note:** I HAVE NOT ABANDONED THIS STORY! So please stick with me as I juggle the many things in my life that are going on right now.

For some reason my browser will no longer support most of features…terrible annoying, and a good excuse for why I haven't updated in so long. Sorta. Not really… The rest of them are school, work and my attempts at a social life… that and this chapter was terribly difficult to write for some reason.

Would it make anyone feel better if I said I had the rest of the story planned out, chapter by chapter? Considering I've been making most of it up as I went along…I figure it might.

ALSO: this chapter is not completed. It is only partially finished, but I'm posting it because it's been so long, and I'm beginning to feel terrible about it. It will be reposted when it's complete. But this way, you know that I haven't died, or that the story hasn't keeled over, or something else equally devastating.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"But to you as well?" Neville asked.

Harry looked over at him, seeing the slight horror in the boy's face and eyes. He had a strange feeling of déjà vu, remembering his own face every time he looked in a mirror after he had heard the very thing he was telling Neville.

"Yes." Harry said quietly, turning his eyes back to the shifting shadows.

Neville was silent beside him.

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

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**A Founder's Counsel**

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It was sometime in the early morning before Harry ventured out of his hiding place. Thin, gray streaks of light were beginning to sneak through the tall windows opposite him, announcing the arriving dawn. Neville had wandered down to his bed before midnight, saying nothing more than a soft "goodnight" as he left. Harry had said nothing in return, lost in his own thoughts.

Harry walked through the empty halls of the castle, his footsteps barely a whisper of sound amongst the early morning quiet. Cin was curled around his shoulders, half asleep and purring softly, barely audible. Harry avoided the well worn paths of the students, even though he doubted he'd see any up so early, instead using the various hidden and unknown passages of the school. Making his way through the variety of halls and tunnels, Harry finally made it to the bottom of a slender tower somewhere on the east side of the castle.

He looked up the spiraling, iron-wrought stairs for a moment, feeling a vague sense of dizziness from the angle of his view. A small smile tugged on the corner of his lips before fading away. Cin shifted on his shoulders a bit as he moved forward and began the long climb up the stairs.

Harry knew the stairs well. He had climbed them his fair share of times during his stay with the Founders, and he had recently brought Hermione up their height. Rowena's office was once located at the top of the nondescript tower, and as far as he knew it had not been used in the centuries after.

He emerged into the round chamber, his memories leading him better than his sight in the still dim light of the morning. His steps kicked up a light dust, but otherwise there was little evidence of his presence. Rowena knew he was there, nonetheless. She always did.

"You're up remarkably early, Darion."

Harry smiled a little, though he didn't respond.

"Or is it that you haven't yet slept?"

Harry grimaced slightly, knowing that the Lady Founder knew him very well, perhaps, he thought, sometimes too well.

He moved quietly through the room, still not speaking, his memories filling in the missing odds n ends that had made the room Rowena's. The room was covered with a thin layer of dust, and much of the furniture had been moved out of the tower, likely centuries earlier. Harry turned from the room, saddened slightly by the lose of the warmth that once had filled it, and took up a vigil at the window across from the portrait.

Harry stood in silence before the window, his eyes not even seeing what was before him. His mind was too occupied. The portrait of Rowena waited for him, as she always had during his time with the Founders.

Not for the first time, he found himself immensely thankful for magic, and its myriad abilities. He was not sure that he would long survive without the Founders, if only to know that he could always find them if he needed them.

Rowena said nothing else, seeming to sense his subdued mood, or at least remembering that at times, he simply needed space and quiet to think. He had often wandered up to her tower to get away from the other students in the castle. Few made their way to the tower, out of the way as it was, despite Rowena's always welcoming nature.

But as much as he entered her office to escape the rest of the castle, there were other places he could do so, and they both knew it. He didn't go to her for silence. He went for counsel.

Each of the Founders had given him something that he needed. Each had guided him in a different manner, in a different area of his life. Salazar pushed him to his limits and made him go beyond them. While the Slytherin Founder's antics made him stronger, faster, harder, it was Rowena's counseling that strengthened his heart and mind.

Her words had healed him. And he knew, they always would.

Harry had had the time to come off the adrenaline of the battle, the time to reflect upon each motion and action and word, and as a result his emotions began to come forward. He had blocked them away, but he couldn't hold them back forever.

The masked face of each Death Eater flashed before his eyes. He never saw their faces the day in Hogsmeade, but he felt each of their magics as his aura ripped their life away from them.

And he saw their eyes.

"I've killed again." Harry said. His voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear, yet it still held the weight of his emotions, the enormity of his guilt at his own actions. He could hear the slight waver in his tone, and knew that Rowena heard it all as well.

It had taken more of his strength than he knew to speak those words.

oooOoooOoooOooo

ALSO: this chapter is not completed. It is only partially finished, but I'm posting it because it's been so long, and I'm beginning to feel terrible about it. It will be reposted when it's complete. But this way, you know that I haven't died, or that the story hasn't keeled over, or something else equally devastating. 


	39. A Founder's Counsel Part Two

**Note:** A number of people had a few intriguing points to make in reviews lately. Awesome! And a few even challenged what was going on. Thank you! While I try to keep track of everything, I do miss things, and make mistakes. When people question where I'm coming from, it makes me pay more attention.

Because of the number of great questions, I wanted to spend some time covering them, and due to the resulting length of my responses, I posted them over in my forums section, in the forum titled General Chat. Here's a few of the topics I went into, in case anyone is interested:

_Snape Crest vs. a Prince Crest  
Harry's skill with knives over the sword  
The name Darion  
Lore of the Founders' Heirs_

A special thanks to _Viridian_ for the sheer number of such useful reviews, and to _Elfwyn_, for challenging things that I didn't think would be.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight **

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**A Founder's Counsel – Part Two **(as requested)

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"I've killed again." Harry said. His voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear, yet it still held the weight of his emotions, the enormity of his guilt at his own actions. He could hear the slight waver in his tone, and knew that Rowena heard it all as well.

It had taken more of his strength than he knew to speak those words.

"To what purpose?" Rowena's voice drifted over to him. Harry barely heard the words, barely acknowledged her voice.

"They barely had a chance." He whispered.

"They chose their lives."

"I still feel them." Harry said, his eyes staring out at the grounds, but he didn't see the trees of the Forest or the hills before them. He could only see the startled eyes of those whose lives he took. They played before him, over and over again. "I still feel them," he repeated, "their magic, their pain, their fear. Each of them."

Harry closed his eyes tightly, trying to get the visions out of this head.

"Control it."

Harry sucked in a startled breath at the firm command.

He looked down at his arms, suddenly sensing the creeping burn of his magic as it seeped through his skin. The green glow of his aura was spread along his arms – along the wand-scars that marked them. The aura was faint but it shouldn't be visible at all. It had been a long time since he had lost control of it.

He had overdone it, pushed himself too far.

"I…" he said, trying to pull his magic back in. It was difficult, too much so.

"You did too much." Rowena said. Harry couldn't quite identify the emotion in her voice. He was too preoccupied with his wayward magic. It didn't fade with his efforts, but the burning slowed and its angry movements changed to a soft flickering. He took a deep breath, knowing that his magic wouldn't calm completely for some time.

"I didn't…" he stopped, unsure what he was trying to say. "It's getting worse." He finally said with a sigh.

"We knew it would." Rowena said, her voice soft.

Harry nodded. He remembered.

"The more it is locked away, the more it will strain to get out." Rowena said, "And the more you use it, the more it will destroy you. Such dark magics visit as much pain and suffering on the caster as they do to the victim, just in a different manner."

Harry closed his eyes against her words. He knew the truth of them. He felt it in his magic as it strained against his control, and as he let it loose, only to feel its destruction returned to him.

"Just like the Killing Curse." He whispered. "The Killing Curse takes the desire to kill to work, and so the castor pulls the darkness of that desire into himself at the spell's use."

"All magic is powered by the will."

Harry didn't respond.

"No matter its purpose, the caster must will the magic to do his bidding. In order to transform, he must guide the change; in order to heal, he must know the body's ailments; and in order to kill, he must desire death." Rowena said. "Your magic was changed by the Killing Curse and by your survival of it. It now holds the essence of the caster's will."

"For death."

"And your magic is now trying to follow two forces of will. That's the problem."

"I know. It's charged by Voldemort's will to kill, but restrained by my unwillingness for it." Harry sighed. "He has a strong will."

"His desire for your death was strong. It was driven by the fear of his own destruction." Rowena said. "His fear makes the magic that much wilder, that much more destructive and dangerous."

"And it still wants me dead." Harry said a bit shortly. "Funny how it's _my_ magic that's trying to kill me because some madman was scared of his own death. Lovely."

"Darion." Rowena said, breaking him out of his sarcasm, "Voldemort's willpower will fade at his death."

"So you theorize." Harry said. "You don't actually _know_." But he didn't really mean the words. Rowena's theories were almost always right. He just couldn't help but wonder, if her first big mistake would be about his magic. His 'luck' tended to throw things for a loop. There was a chance, however slim, that the traces of Voldemort's will for death in his magic wouldn't fade and he would be forced into a life-long fight with his own magic over his life. Harry didn't fancy bearing the very essence of the killing curse in his magic for the rest of his life.

Harry sighed again, and turned to face the portrait. "I used the whirlwind." He said, his voice a bit toneless as he tried to distance himself from both his magic and his emotions.

Rowena allowed the change in topic, much to his relief.

"Godric will be pleased." Rowena said sardonically.

"I still can't control where the spells go," Harry said eyeing his still greenish arms, "But it worked well when I was surrounded."

"They were powerful spells?"

"Mostly. The Death Eaters tend to favor anything showy and painful."

"The stronger the spells caught in your aura, the more your magic will flare to keep control over them." Rowena said. Harry could hear the note of lecture in her voice, though he knew she was trying to hide it. "You know this, Darion. You must be more careful. If you lose control, the backlash would strike as it has before, and we are no longer there to aid in it's control afterward."

Harry knew she was right. He had heard the same lecture more than once. He was well aware of the dangers that part of his magic possessed. Tainted by the survival of a curse he should never have lived through, his magic had changed and become something as wild and raw as the spell he survived. If he lost control, and a backlash occurred, it would kill anything it touched, and he would feel each death, driving him further from control.

The Founders had tempered the few backlashes that occurred while he was with them, and they had taught him how to control a magic that new no bounds when cast.

But they were no longer with him. If he lost control, the backlash would be devastating. It could easily level a large house, as it had with the Dursley's, and kill anyone too close. He could not let that happen. He had to be careful.

"I know, Mistress." Harry said, his voice barely audible.

Rowena was silent, seemingly satisfied that he had received her lecture. She had never had to spend much time lecturing him. He listened without fuss to her and took her words seriously.

They stood in silence for a while, Harry idly watching the faint dancing of his magic along his arms. It would be some time before it faded completely. Until it did, it was far better for him to avoid any contact with others.

"They attacked Hogsmeade yesterday." Harry said neutrally. "About two dozen of them."

"And you survived." Rowena's voice floated over to him.

"I tend to." He said a bit shortly. He didn't need to be reminded of that.

"Why?"

Harry blinked, startled by the Lady's words. "Because…"

"Because you do." Rowena said finally. "Because you can, and you do."

Harry scowled. "Because of a bloody prophesy."

"Made about you for your strength of will and heart; for your ability keep yourself throughout all the darkness that you would pass through; for your ability not to die, body, heart and mind; and to survive – whole."

Harry's irritation about the prophesy faded at her words, though he wasn't sure exactly why. Mayhap, because he knew she was likely right, she always was, or at least, because he _wanted_ to believe her. One of his greatest fears was following the same path that Tom Riddle had taken. Harry was very much aware of the similarities in their lives, and he feared that the lack of differences, the similar beginnings, would make it easier for him to fall into the same darkness that Riddle did – to face the same end.

"You survived." Rowena said softly, interrupting his darkening thoughts. "You will survive, and you will not fall."

Harry felt a small smile on his lips as he turned back to the view out the window. The Lady said nothing further, instead began a soft, humming tune, and Harry knew that she would be right. If not for his nature, than because the Four Founders had molded him so. He was theirs in so many ways; a Founders Heir.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Timeline Update:** This chapter began (in the story) the morning of a Sunday, Sept. 12


	40. Doubts and Hot Chocolate

And then there's the calm before the storm…

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"You survived." Rowena said softly, interrupting his darkening thoughts. "You will survive, and you will not fall."

Harry felt a small smile on his lips as he turned back to the view out the window. The Lady said nothing further, instead began a soft, humming tune, and Harry knew that she would be right. If not for his nature, than because the Four Founders had molded him so. He was theirs in so many ways; a Founders Heir.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

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**Doubt and Hot Chocolate**

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By the time Harry wandered out of the tower, it was evening, and the din from the direction of the Great Hall told him it was supper time. Cin had draped himself over his shoulders and was purring contentedly. Harry was sure that it was the same tune that Rowena had been humming all morning.

Deciding to forgoe the crowds of the student body, Harry returned to the chambers he shared with Snape in the dungeons. Taking a few shortcuts through the castle, Harry entered the dark halls of Hogwart's underground near Snape's potions classroom. Only paying minimal attention to his surroundings, he was through the door of the classroom before he registered that there was someone already within. Three someones, actually.

Harry blinked at the scene, a bit surprised to find Ron and Hermione in the dungeons. However, it didn't take him long to figure out that they had little desire to be there, and by the look on Snape's face, he was just as pleased.

Deciding to ignore the now palpable tension in the air, he addressed his friends. "What are you guys doing here?" Harry asked.

"Snape's trying to give us a detention!" Ron said heatedly.

"Professor Snape, Ron." Hermione said, though she was nearly drowned out by Snape's retort.

"Trying? Mr. Weasley." Snape near hissed, "I _am_ giving you detention."

"We haven't done anything wrong!" Ron said.

"Haven't?" Snape was hissing now. Harry wondered, briefly, what had got him so riled up. He hadn't been aware that the man was out from Pomfrey's care long enough to start targeting Gryffindors for detentions.

"Just because you've got the rest of the imbeciles of this castle illusioned to your innocence, does not mean that you can fool me, Mr. Weasley." Snape said, his nose barely a foot from Ron's face. Harry had the fleeting thought that Ron was nearly taller than Snape.

Ron retorted with something he probably shouldn't have said, which only caused Snape to bristle. Harry ignored them and turned to Hermione, who was watching the by-play and wringing her hands nervously, near twitching.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Oh, Darion," Hermione said, not taking her eyes off the other two, "it's just a big misunderstanding, but they won't listen!"

Harry eyed Ron and Snape, their noses closer together, and still arguing. Ron's voice was beginning to echo a little in the room, while Snape's only got quieter as he got madder. If Harry didn't have to deal with the two of them in his immediate future, he would have found the whole scene quite hilarious. As it were, he lived in the same apartment as one of them, and was rather disinclined to sever the friendship with the other.

A strict knock on the doorframe behind him stopped him from replying. Turning to take in the newcomer, Harry was a little surprised to see Professor McGonagoll standing in the classroom doorway.

Ron and Snape had stopped arguing, though neither turned to look at the new arrival. Harry glanced between the two Professors, seeing McGonagoll's disapproval written clearly on her face, while Snape's was still twisted into a severe scowl.

"Severus," McGonagoll said in a strained voice, "If I may speak with you a moment."

She had phrased it as a question, but Harry was pretty sure that everyone in the room understood the command. Snape sniffed and drew himself upright stiffly.

"You. Stay. Here." He growled at the three of them, sending Ron a nasty glare, and strode from the room. McGonagoll glanced at the three of them, and then followed Snape's retreating, bat-like form down the hall.

Harry closed the door softly behind them, and turned to face his friends.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" He asked, looking between them, and finding the idea of Ron and Snape arguing as they had been rather unusual.

"That Git!" Ron exclaimed, aiming a kick at one of the desks, and managing to wack his shin on the leg of the table. He swore and clapped a hand over his leg, hopping on one foot.

"Well that's what you get." Hermione said, looking at the red-head with a disapproving stare. Harry thought that she imitated McGonagoll's look rather well.

"Hermione." Harry said, ignoring Ron's continued cursing.

"We were looking for you." She said as if that explained everything. Harry waited for more, but when nothing seemed forthcoming, he sighed.

"Why would Snape want to give you a detention for looking for me?" he asked.

Hermione looked sideways at Ron, who was still nursing his leg. "We were in the dungeons." She said as she forced Ron to sit on a stool before he fell over.

"That great git came 'round the corner hollering like a bat out of hell!" Ron exclaimed. "He _is_ a bat out of hell! I'm sure of it. He even looks like one!"

"Ron, he's a teacher." Hermione chided.

"He's a git!"

Hermione sighed and pushed Ron's pant-leg up, eyeing the already blue mark on his leg. "Really, Ron." She said as she pulled her wand and cast a simple healing spell, "You didn't have to argue with him."

"He's got no right to give us a detention." Ron said, "We weren't doing anything wrong!"

"What _were_ you doing?" Harry asked again.

"Trying to find you!" Ron said, rising from the stool. Harry raised an eyebrow as the red-head began to stalk around the room, barely missing running into another table as he went.

"I was in the tower." Harry said.

"Gryffindor Tower?" Ron asked, pausing his circuit of the room.

"No, I can't get into Gryffindor Tower, I'm not a Gryffindor student." Harry said, leaning on the desk behind him.

"With Rowena?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded, trying to ignore Ron as he passed behind him, muttering.

"You've been missing since…" Hermione started, "Since, last night."

Harry nodded again.

"How did it go?" she asked, "I mean, at Dreary Hold."

"Fine."

Hermione pursed her lips, looking worried. Harry wasn't sure why.

"Nothing went wrong?" she asked.

Harry looked at her a moment before answering. "Not as such, no." Hermione nodded, but he continued. "Though, I suppose it depends on your point of view."

That hadn't seemed to reassure her any. Actually, it seemed to do quite the opposite.

"Why was Snape giving you two a detention?" He asked, eyeing Ron out of the corner of his eye as the red-head made another circuit and passed behind him again, still muttering. Harry was doubtful that it was anything that should be said in polite company.

"He claims we were breaking into his office to steal something!" Ron exclaimed angrily, hitting his foot on one of the cupboards lining the walls. He stumbled and swore, hopping again on one foot as he nursed his toe.

"Ron, you should watch where you're going." Hermione said sounding a little exasperated. Harry vaguely remembered Ron's clumsiness getting worse when he got angry.

"You broke into his office?" Harry asked Hermione as Ron limped around the room.

"Not… as such." Hermione said slowly, looking away from him. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Then…" he prompted.

"It was just an Alohamora, charm." Hermione said swiftly, still not looking at him, "And I knew that he had a private lab beyond his office, and I remembered seeing the same lab from his living room the other day, so I knew that I could likely get into _your_ room by going through the classroom."

Harry blinked as he deciphered her quick speech.

"You couldn't just knock on the door to his chambers?" he asked, a little perplexed. It seemed like an awful lot of trouble to try to break through three or four doors rather than just one.

"Well…" Hermoine hedged, watching Ron pace around the circumference of the room. The red-head wasn't paying much attention to their conversation. He was still muttering darkly, hunched a bit into himself and favoring the foot he had rammed into the cabinet.

"Well what?" Harry asked. "Salazar wouldn't have let you in, but at least you would know if I was there or not."

"I-couldn't-remember-how-to-get-there." Hermione said very quickly, her eyes glued to Ron's half stumbling progress.

"Pardon?" Harry asked, not sure what she had said.

Hermione heaved a sigh, looking a little uncomfortable, "I couldn't remember how to get there." She said.

Harry blinked. "Oh." He wasn't really sure what else to say, and he was beginning to feel like he was about to laugh. "Well I suppose it's not the easiest corridor to find." He said, thinking of the near maze-like corridors of the dungeons.

"But I've been there before, and I should be able to remember the path." Hermione said, "But I must not have been paying much attention."

"A lot was going on." Harry said.

"I suppose I was a little distracted." She admitted, finally starting to look a little less embarrassed. Harry was torn between sympathy and hilarity. He had never realized that Hermione would get so upset by not being able to remember the route to a certain location in the castle.

Ron's muttering continued, and Harry's eyes flickered over to him as Ron was about to walk behind him again.

"Ron, if you don't stop circling me, I'm going to glue you to the ceiling by your toenails." Harry warned.

Ron stopped dead in his tracks, seemingly only aware of what he had been doing. Looking a little sheepish, he plopped himself onto a table. "Sorry, mate."

Harry gave him a look and turned to Hermione. "So you decided to break into Snape's office?"

"We weren't breaking in!" Ron said a bit hotly, "We were only going through it."

"Trust me," Harry said, "If he's like that from you trying to get into his office, you really don't want to see what he'd be like if you got into his chambers, not to mention his lab." Harry cringed a little. "Come to mention it, _I_ don't want to see what he'd be like either."

"Oh, it was just stupid." Hermoine said, all but falling onto a stool as she sat.

Harry wasn't entirely sure why she was so frustrated, or what on earth drove them to breaking into Snape's office to find him when they knew he was fine. Snape's reaction to finding a couple of students, especially Gryffidors, throwing unlocking spells at his office door was really quite predictable.

"What was so important, anyways?" Harry asked, settling more comfortably against the desk behind him.

"Oh!" Hermione said, jumping to her feet. "I nearly forgot!" She began to rummage around in her book bag, mumbling a bit about too many quills.

"It's the Prophet." Ron said, as Hermione pulled the paper from her bag.

Harry eyed the wizarding paper, then looked a bit dubiously between the two. "You do know that they usually only print rubbish, right?" Harry asked.

"Yes, of course." Hermione said as she unfolded the paper and handed it to him. Harry took it, but didn't bother to look at it. "But whether it's truth or not, what matters is who believes it."

Harry couldn't argue with that.

"Look." Hermione said, pointing to the paper.

Harry sighed silently, and did as she said. The front page of the Prophet was splashed with a large photo of a house in flames, it's outline vaguely visible through the fire and smoke. Robed figures moved around it in a controlled chaotic sort of way, casting spells and charms, no doubt trying to dampen the blaze.

Harry couldn't see what the big deal was, or why it couldn't wait until later, or what it had to do with him. He looked back at Hermione then did a double take back to the picture. The outline of the house was familiar.

He stared at it for a moment, trying to place it. The house wasn't situated in a village, or near other buildings, and it looked nothing like the Weasley's, nor did it look like what Harry knew to be Godric's Hollow. He took a sharp intake of breath, feeling his eyes widen slightly.

It was Dreary Hold.

"They listed those they knew to be inside the house." Hermione said, "I recognized some of the names as Death Eaters, but none had been convicted. One was Lucious Malfoy. Half of the names were Muggles, and they're all dead."

Harry looked up at her, his face masked.

"They're saying that it was an attack on innocent people." She continued, "That the wizards were slaughtered, Malfoy poisoned, and the Muggles tied and left in the kitchen while the house was set on fire. They were burned to death."

Harry could see the intensity in her eyes, but wasn't able to really identify the emotions. Hermione was stiff, staring back at him, conflict clear. She wasn't sure that he had done it all. She had seen him in Hogsmeade deal with a dozen Death Eaters without hesitation to kill, indeed, he had killed many of them.

"They're calling for a full Ministry investigation." Hermione said.

Harry nodded slightly, and handed her the paper. Hermione paused before she took it, her hand shaking slightly as she did so. Harry pretended not to notice.

"I did not kill the Muggles." Harry said a little colder than he meant to, "Nor did I set the house ablaze."

Hermione looked even more conflicted, her eyes darted between him and Ron and the paper and back again. Harry didn't say anything more. He didn't think he really had to. He could say that he had killed the wizards, though he wouldn't have called what he did a slaughter. And it was his knife that poisoned Malfoy, but he didn't think that he should have to tell Ron and Hermione that the view the Prophet was taking wasn't entirely truthful.

"Darion, I…" Hermione started, looking a little miserable, but was interrupted by the door opening. Harry glanced at the doorway, seeing Snape and McGonagoll standing, looking a little surprised at the three of them.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," McGonagoll said, eyeing her two Gryffindors a little strangely, "you'll come with me, if you will."

Hermione nodded, stuffing the paper in her bag as she left the classroom. None of them said anything as the three left, McGonagoll closing the door behind them with one last questioning look at Harry.

Harry turned his attention to Snape, absently noting that Cin had stopped purring sometime during the conversation. Snape still looked angry, but no longer seemed to be apt to throw hexes at someone, and was staring at him intensely. Harry returned the look blankly, trying to decipher his own feelings on what had just happened.

He wasn't sure that he blamed Ron and Hermione for wondering if he set the house on fire, though Harry thought they knew he wouldn't have done such a thing, that he wasn't capable of such mindless slaughter and cruelty.

Pushing his friends' questioning out of his mind, Harry straightened and regarded Snape.

"I rather suspect that they won't try to reach me through your office again." Harry said neutrally. Snape scowled darkly, but said nothing.

Harry shrugged mentally and headed for the door into Snape's office, intent on enclosing himself in his room for the remainder of the night, or perhaps week. Opening the door, he realized that Ron and Hermione had actually managed to unwork Snape's locking charms. He was mildly impressed.

"Apprentice." Snape's call made him pause as he opened the second door that connected the office to the private lab. Harry waited for his Master to say what he wanted. He wasn't in the mood to volunteer information.

Snape remained silent, however. Harry turned enough to see the man standing in the doorway, with the same intense expression as before.

"I expect the Ministry will be here tomorrow." Harry said, his voice still holding little inflection or tone.

"In what state did you leave the house?" Snape asked. Harry frowned.

"In what state, Apprentice?" Snape asked again.

"Whole." Harry said shortly and turned away, closing the door firmly behind him. He made his way through Snape's private lab and living room silently, and barely restrained himself from slamming the door to his bedroom as he entered.

oooOoooOoooOooo

It took Harry a few hours before he felt like he wasn't tempted to hex something living into something that wasn't, an urge that was certainly not one he should indulge in, considering the circumstances. He wasn't entirely sure why he was in such a sour mood. He suspected that it had something to do with the continued mistrust that he wasn't wholly accustomed to, tied with the rising restlessness of his magic.

Knowing that it was past curfew, Harry let himself out of Snape's chambers quietly, though he didn't much care if the man noticed him leaving or not. Cin padded along behind him, for once walking on his own rather than draped over his shoulders.

Ignoring Salazar's attempts at starting a conversation – or an argument, by the sounds of his insults – Harry slipped sideways into a narrow nook that would allow him to bypass two floors of the castle.

It didn't take him long, what with his shortcuts, to make his way into the Hogwarts kitchens. Not having eaten all day, Harry was starving, not to mention Cin's growing complaints about boredom and the lack of food.

The kitchens were quiet, though there was a number of house elves running about doing who knew what. Harry suspected that the kitchens never truly settled into silence.

"Darion!" A surprised voice called. Harry looked around, noticing the two figures seated in a cozy corner of the kitchen out of the way and nursing mugs of something hot. By the scent, Harry thought it was chocolate. Neville sat across from a boy his age that Harry didn't know, though he looked vaguely familiar.

"Hello, Neville." Harry said with a small smile, "Mind terribly if we join you?"

"Not at all." Neville said, sliding sideways on the bench to make room, "Here. Dobby!"

Harry settled onto the bench next to Neville as a house elf popped into existence next to his elbow. Cin jumped a little and disappeared under the table, though Harry was too distracted to get too much amusement out of it.

"Master Har-" Dobby began but suddenly snapped his mouth shut, pulling cruelly on his own ears.

"Hello!" Harry said in greeting.

"Mr. Darion, sir!" Dobby said, his saucer-like eyes darting between Harry and Neville and the third boy at the table.

"What can Dobby do for Mr. Darion?" the elf asked, still pulling on his ears.

"Can we get another hot chocolate?" Neville asked.

"Of course Mr. Neville!" Dobby said.

Cin crawled up onto the bench across from Neville and eyed the mugs of chocolate.

"Probably something to eat for Cin," Harry said, watching the cub warily, "Else he'll likely start eating his own tail."

Dobby nodded vigorously and disappeared with a slight pop.

"Oh, Darion," Neville said, drawing his attention, "This is Warren Tristram, he's a Hufflepuff in sixth Year."

Harry offered his hand, and the skinny kid took it, though seemed a little wary of him. His brown eyes kept darting back to the griffin cub sitting next to him, who was sniffing at his hot chocolate.

"His name is Cineris." Harry said. Warren nodded, not taking his eyes off the cub, though he didn't seem afraid, exactly.

"I told Dobby who you were." Neville whispered in his ear so that Warren couldn't hear. Harry turned his head slightly, though didn't look at him. "But you know Dobby, he gets excited a little sometimes. He almost slipped, but he did alright."

Harry nodded, and gave Neville a smile, "Thanks."

Dobby reappeared with a pop, balancing a stack of plates and mugs that looked taller than him. Cin let out a small yelp at the sudden reappearance, his gold eyes watching Dobby's every move carefully, not that much of the elf could actually be seen. Harry grabbed a mug as it threatened to topple off the top of the pile, and suddenly everything in the stack floated over to the table and settled onto its surface.

"Thanks, Dobby." Harry said, eyeing the feast laid out before them. He hadn't exactly expected so much food.

"Anything, for Mas – Mr. Darion, sir!" Dobby said and disappeared again, looking quite flustered, which was almost a comical expression on a House Elf.

Cin shook himself, sending a few loose feathers floating through the air and turned his attention to the food on the table.

"Does he not like House Elves?" Warren asked, still watching the griffin. Harry wasn't sure how he could watch the cub once he started eating. Cin wasn't the most polite of eaters, and tended to make a mess.

"He tried to bat at one once with his claws." Harry said, pointedly not watching the cub eat. "I don't know what the elf did to him, but he's been a bit jumpy around House Elves ever since."

"He sure eats a lot." Warren said.

"He eats too much, likely." Harry glanced at the griffin, "He's going to get fat one of these days, then he won't be able to fly at all."

Cin raised his head long enough to hiss at him, a habit he had picked up from Saire, Harry was sure, before returning to his meal. Harry smirked and eyed the hot chocolate still held in his hand.

"Haven't had hot chocolate in months." He said absently, taking a deep whiff of the sweet and cinnamon smell.

"Do you have two?" Warren asked.

"Hot chocolates?" Harry asked, a bit bewildered.

"No," Warren said, sounding a bit exasperated, and motioned at Cin.

"Griffins?" Harry asked, "No, just Cin."

"But I thought I saw another one, bigger."

Harry nodded. "Yea, Cin under the influence of a growth potion."

"Is that how big they get?" Warren asked, wide-eyed. "I thought griffins were smaller."

"It depends on the breed, I suspect." Harry said, sipping on his cocoa. "Cineris is an Ash Griffin, they're slimmer, and a bit smaller than their cousins, the Golden Griffins, which is usually what people think of when they hear about Griffins. A full grown Ash Griffin wouldn't reach too much taller than my knees, while some of the bigger Goldens could likely hit the height of my waist. The growth potion doesn't make Cin grow older, it just makes him bigger."

Warren nodded, still watching Cin, though he didn't move any closer to the cub. Actually, Harry was pretty sure that he kept leaning away when Cin's semi-selective eating would bring him closer to the Hufflepuff.

"Hey, Darion," Neville said, as Harry plucked a pastry from the table, "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure." Harry said, stuffing the sweet in his mouth, his manners at the moment, little better than his Familiar's.

"How do you feel magic?"

Harry blinked and looked at Nevile.

"You said that you can feel it, right?" Neville continued, "Warren says he can too, though I can't feel anything."

Harry eyed Warren, who was splitting his attention between their conversation and the cub at his side. Harry swallowed the mouthful of pastry sugar.

"You're muggle-born?" Harry asked Warren.

Warren started slightly and looked a little wide-eyed at him.

"I was raised by Muggles." Harry said. He looked at Neville then back to Warren. Warren nodded, his brown hair falling into his eyes. "It's easier for those of us who grew up without magic." Harry said. "We're not used to it."

"So you can feel magic because you were raised by Muggles?" Neville asked.

"Basically." Harry nodded. "It doesn't have anything to do with blood, and everything to do with magic."

Both Neville and Warren looked confused.

"What do you feel?" Harry asked the Hufflepuff.

"Um, not a lot." He said, "Just a tingling really, when I get on the train at King's Cross, or when I'm in Diagon Alley. I don't feel much here."

"Just in the beginning of the year, in the first few days after you arrive, right?" Harry said.

Warren nodded, looking a little surprised. "Yea. During the feast and such."

"The thing with feeling magic, is that you have to pay attention to it." Harry said. "Witches or Wizards who spend a large period of time outside of a magical environment, feel the tingling of magic when they return to it, such as a Muggle-born student who returns to Hogwarts every year."

"But what about you?" Neville asked.

"I pay attention." Harry said simply. "It's not that you can no longer feel magic after arriving to Hogwarts," he said to Warren, "It's that you get used to it, and don't pay attention to it anymore."

Harry grinned, "Anyone can feel magic, so long as they actually pay attention to it. Most wizards who grew up in the wizarding world don't really think about it, they've been feeling magic all their lives, so the idea of paying attention to how it feels around them isn't exactly a common thought."

"Anyone can feel it?" Neville asked.

"Anyone." Harry nodded. "Even you. It's just easier for those of us who grew up away from magic. We know what it's like to _not_ feel it."

"How come we're not taught this at school?" Warren asked.

Harry shrugged. "I've no idea. Maybe they do, in your seventh year. Maybe it's not seen as important or terribly useful. I don't know."

"How much can you feel?" Neville asked, "Can you tell what spells are used or anything"

"Sometimes, if I'm really familiar with a spell, but not usually." Harry said, "Mostly I can just tell if it's meant to harm or to protect, or heal, or if it's harmless. The stronger the magic and intent of the spell, the easier it is to feel."

"Just spells?" Warren asked, his attention now fully diverted from the griffin cub.

Harry shook his head. "I can sense anything magical, people, creatures, structures, hidden spells, charms and all sorts of things. Doesn't mean I know what they are or who, or what spell exactly it is, but I can still sense them."

"Cool." Warren said, his eyes a little wide. "Will I be able to do that?"

"I don't see why not." Harry shrugged, "Just start paying attention to what you're feeling. You can start to notice a difference in the feel between a charm and a hex, for instance, even if you can't identify the spell. Stationary spells feel different from active ones, transfiguration is different from charms, protection and healing spells differ from hexes and curses, and so forth."

"That's wicked." Warren exclaimed, obviously pleased, as he watched the cub lick a bowl of cold pudding clean. Neville, too, watched the cub, looking much less excited than his friend.

"It's easier for Muggle-borns to notice the feel of magic." Harry said, addressing Neville, "But wizard raised people tend to be able to go farther with it and identify things with more detail. They usually have encountered more types of magics for longer times."

Neville looked up from Cin, and Harry continued. "The knowledge of what spells and certain types of magics feel like are in there somewhere," Harry said, pointing to Neville's forehead, "You've been around magic all your life. You just need to connect what your body already knows to what you can feel."

Neville looked marginally better at this, and snatched a pastry puff from in front of Cin's nose and stuffed it in his mouth. Cin glowered at him for a minute before nicking the one in Warren's hand. Warren yelped at the motion, staring at the griffin in alarm.

Cin chomped on the creamy pastry, licking at his beak as he tried to swallow the entire thing in one gulp. Warren scooted away from him, holding his fingers as if they had been injured, though Harry knew that Cin wouldn't have bit the kid. Cin let out a low purring growl, his eyes flickering over the plate of biscuits in front of Warren. Warren took that as a bad sign and scooted farther away, not taking his eyes from the cub as Cin rose, his front talons scratching at the tabletop.

Cin lunged, his beak snapping sharply over the table and his wings spread out wide. Warren let out a startled noise that sounded a bit like a mouse and suddenly fell from view. The loud thump from the floor told Harry that the kid had fallen clear off the bench.

"Alright?" Harry asked with a grin as he leaned sideways to peer at the Hufflepuff.

Warren looked a little less like a wizard and a little more like a pile of limbs and robes that kept sprouting words Harry was sure Hufflepuffs didn't usually use. Somewhere in the middle of the words, Harry caught a "Yea, I'm fine." Though with the muffling of the robes, he wasn't entirely sure.

"Oh, good." Harry said jovially and sat back up. He picked up his mug, for some reason feeling much better than he had earlier in the day.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Author's Note: **I offer my apologies for the time in which it took for me to update. Enjoy J. K. Rowling's Deathly Hallows everyone.


	41. Charges

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"Alright?" Harry asked with a grin as he leaned sideways to peer at the Hufflepuff.

Warren looked a little less like a wizard and a little more like a pile of limbs and robes that kept sprouting words Harry was sure Hufflepuffs didn't usually use. Somewhere in the middle of the words, Harry caught a "Yea, I'm fine." Though with the muffling of the robes, he wasn't entirely sure.

"Oh, good." Harry said jovially and sat back up. He picked up his mug, for some reason feeling much better than he had earlier in the day.

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Forty**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

**Charges**

oooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Despite Harry's good mood, and Cin's contentment with a full stomach and bit of fun, neither slept well. Thus it was that Harry found himself climbing the Headmaster's guardian-less stair before Albus had had time to change out of his dressing gown.

Harry had little worry that Albus wouldn't be awake prior to the rise of the sun. The Founders' heirs tended not to sleep much, though Harry didn't know why. It was just one thing that marked them.

"Good morning, Darion!" Albus said brightly over a steaming cup of tea. He was seated, as usual, behind his desk, his hair slightly more disheveled than usual, and the length of his beard was tied loosely to keep it from tangling through the night. Harry suspected that he had been awake for some time if the half finished game of chess in front of him was anything to go by.

"Morning, Albus." Harry returned, letting himself drop into the monstrosity that Albus called a chair. Cin let out an indignant noise at the motion before curling his body around his neck and going back to sleep. Harry ignored the claws digging into this flesh with well-practiced ease. Cin was in a mood worse than Harry's own.

"Tea, my boy?" Albus asked, conjuring another cup and saucer and pouring tea to the brim. Harry accepted it without a word, letting its scent and heat try to loosen up some the tension in him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Albus asked.

Harry pulled a copy of the Prophet from his robes and tossed it onto the desk between them, still staring into the steam of his tea with his eyes half closed.

"Ah, I see."

They were silent for a moment, Harry feeling like he could possibly try to wake up now that he had a good cup of tea, though he wasn't really in the mood to.

"What did Salazar say?" Albus asked.

Harry shrugged. "Didn't ask him. He can't talk without riddles and insults, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with either."

Albus chuckled. "He is a little one sided in his conversational habits, isn't he?"

Harry blinked and glanced up at his old friend, "You use far too many big words for this early in the morning, Albus."

Albus laughed again, and Harry smiled, glad for the company and friendly conversation.

"I expect that the Ministry will be arriving sometime today." Albus said, not having picked up the paper at all. "No doubt with more of them than any of us would like."

Harry grunted, back to staring into his tea. "Heard anything about their mood?"

"Not yet, no." Albus said, "Though it was no secret what you did in Hogsmeade. I've been expecting them to call on that matter alone."

Harry acknowledged that with a slight tilt of his head.

"Though," Albus continued, "Everyone was aware that it was, in fact, Death Eaters who attacked Hogsmeade."

"But not Dreary Hold?"

Albus shrugged. "No doubt they are suspected, or accused of consorting with the Dark Lord, but none in that house past the elder Malfoy had ever been convicted."

"And now the Death Eaters have found something they can blame on us." Harry said. "I should have chased the Muggles out of the house."

"Their presence does pose a problem. Death Eaters would not entertain Muggles at a dinner party, and the house's remains clearly show a party had taken place."

"Lovely." Harry said sarcastically.

"It will be difficult to prove that the Wizards and Witches inside Dreary Hold did not invite the Muggles there with friendly intentions." Albus said. "And we did not hide the fact that you went looking for Death Eaters after the disappearance of the students."

"We didn't exactly proclaim it to the world, either."

"No, but there were plenty of people mulling around in Hogsmeade when young Mr. Wintersview told you of Dreary Hold. Any one of them could have passed it along."

"Is the Ministry going to bother the students?" Harry asked. "Neville was there with me, and as you said, Wintersview gave me the location of Dreary Hold."

"I cannot say." Albus said. "Though I doubt that they'd leave them alone."

"Neville has the sword." Harry said, suddenly remembering.

Albus looked a little surprised at that. "Really? Oh good."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Darion," Albus said, leaning forward over his chess game, "I can do little to protect you from the Ministry. You are over your majority and no longer a student, which limits my reach over you. You may be a bit on your own for a while until I can think of something."

Harry sighed, he had already known that Albus wouldn't be able to do much.

"However," Albus said a bit more brightly, "You are an Apprentice to one of my staff, so I still have some power, albeit limited."

"Just keep an eye on the students." Harry said, "And Snape was one of those taken, so that may pose a problem for your power-reaches."

"Ah yes. Of course."

They were silent for a minute, Harry still staring into the steam of his tea, while Albus absently moved pieces around on the chess board. Harry wasn't disillusioned enough to think that Albus could make the problem go away so simply, though he had hoped, in a small child-like way, that the old man could do so. Harry also knew that despite Albus' good relations with the Ministry, the man in actuality held little political power beyond his own reputation. If Fudge arrested him, which he was likely to do, then Harry would largely be on his own within the confines of the Ministry.

"Can't I just run away?" Harry asked in a rare moment of self-pity.

Albus chuckled lightly. "Of course, Darion, you can do a great many things."

Harry sent the man a petulant look. "Are you sure that they're going to come after me with the charges for the deaths of the Muggles?" Harry asked, still entertaining the idea of running off. He rather thought that Spain might be nice that time of year.

"Most likely, yes." Albus said. "I've little doubt that Tom is in some way behind all of this, and is simply taking advantage of the situation. You did manage to get yourself into a bit of a pickle, my boy, and I doubt that there will be any evidence to the contrary."

Harry scowled and gulped at his tea, forgetting for a moment that it was still steaming, and therefore likely too hot to drink. Choking slightly at the unexpected heat, Harry leaned forward to prevent dumping the rest of the cup into his lap.

Cin growled at the motion and jumped from his shoulders, jarring his arm holding the tea cup and spilling the contents over the rug. Cin continued his purring growl as he disappeared under a cabinet in the corner of the room. Harry sent the cub a glare and waved his hand to clean up the spilled tea.

"People have heard, already, what you did in Hogsmeade." Albus continued as if nothing had happened, "That you faced over a dozen Death Eaters with a potion of fog and an eerie glow that surrounded your entire body."

"So since I didn't hesitate to kill then, they think I would burn a group of Muggles to death inside a Death Eater's house." Harry said grumpily. "Yea, I get it. It's a load of cadswallop."

"Indeed it is." Albus said chuckling.

"You know," Harry said, idling turning the tea cup around in his hand, "I'm rather sick of their fickleness."

"Who's, my dear boy?"

"The mob's." Harry said ironically, staring into the dregs of his tea.

Albus chuckled slightly, sipping at his un spilt tea in good humor. Harry rather thought that he saw a Grim shaped into the leaves at the bottom of his cup and he resolved to avoid Trelawney for the rest of the week, at least.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Feeling slightly grumpy that Albus wouldn't let him complain about his lot in life as long as he wanted to, Harry trooped down to the Great Hall without Cin – who was stubbornly curled into the back corner of Albus' office, pouting. Albus had disappeared into the chambers beyond the office, no doubt to change into something obnoxiously colorful.

The Great Hall was still largely empty, considering the early time, though Harry knew it wouldn't take long for the students to troop in for a quick breakfast before they were late for classes. Of the Professors, half were present, some reading through the Daily Prophet or other publication, while others, namely Snape, scowled down at the students over his eggs.

Harry avoided most, ignoring the faint ripple of whispers as the students present noticed him past. Used to such attention, Harry simply staked out a relatively large empty space at the end of the Hufflepuff table for himself.

He was pretty sure that even if the Prophet hadn't published the story and suspicions about Dreary Hold, that he would have been given a pretty wide berth. He knew from the time with the Founders that his moods tended to be reflected in his magics. The other Heirs would be able to tell, feeling his moods in the magic he gave off. They learned quickly that it wasn't pleasant to try to eat breakfast nearby a grumpy Darion Elddir.

Harry's inner grumblings was interrupted by the sound of someone joining him. He glanced up from his breakfast to find Neville, Warren and a faintly smiling Luna sitting around him.

"Good morning, Darion." Neville said, though he looked slightly hesitant.

Harry grunted out a "Morning" around his eggs, and poured himself another cup of pumpkin juice.

"You feel awful, Darion." Luna stated.

Harry looked up just as Luna plopped a dollop of cold chocolate pudding over scrambled eggs. Distracted for a moment, he took a bit to reply.

"Sorry" he said, swallowing the eggs in his mouth, "I'm in a bad mood."

"Understandable." Luna said in nearly a sing-song tone. Harry blinked at her then shook his head in bemusement, though whether it was her words or her choice in breakfast foods, he wasn't sure.

"See." He said, pointing his fork at the girl as he addressed the boys, "You can feel the mood and intent of magics around you. You just have to pay attention."

Neville looked honestly intrigued, regarding Luna with slightly more interest than confusion than he did normally. Warren couldn't seem to get past what Luna was eating to take in much of the conversation.

"I don't usually feel people." Luna said, mixing the pudding and egg together, "But you're very strong."

Harry rather thought that if anybody else happened upon their conversation that he might be a little embarrassed at her words.

"Can't be helped, I'm afraid." Harry said. "I've no control over the amount of magic I give off. Godric was terribly disappointed that I could never get the hang of restraining all the magical discharge I have."

"You can't restrain it at all?" Neville asked.

Harry shook his head, "No, I can restrain it some, but my magic is a little funny, I can't always control every aspect of it. My magical discharge is one thing I have trouble with."

"You should try wearing a Bravilore around your head." Luna said, staring at him over her meal, "It should help you."

"What's a Bravilore?" Warren asked.

"I have no idea." Neville said, "Is it a plant?"

"I doubt that would help, actually." Harry said before Luna got started into an explanation. "It's just me, I'm afraid."

"Pity." Luna said, "but Bravilore's are notoriously scarce, you may not have been able to find one anyways."

"Gram was always adamant about me learning to restrain my magical discharge." Neville said, seeming unfazed by Luna's talk of Bravilores. "She'd drill me through the summers. Still does, actually."

"Magical discharge?" Warren asked.

"Sure." Neville said, suddenly animated, "Everything that has magic gives off a certain discharge, like an aura, Wizards can control it. Gran seems to think that it'll give me more magic if I keep it all in."

"It doesn't make you any more powerful to restrain the discharge you give off." Harry said. "That's just an old belief that a lot of pure-blood families have a hard time letting go of. Kinda like, purebloods are more magical than muggle-borns."

"Ah," Neville said looking resigned, "I thought so, I never felt any different, just really full."

"And when you use magic with your wand later, you don't feel so full anymore." Harry said. Neville nodded.

"If you didn't use your wand periodically to cast spells, you'd start doing accidental magic." Harry said, "The magic builds up a bit and needs to go somewhere. If you don't use your magic every once in a while, it'll just kind of blow out of you."

"Is that what kids do with accidental magic?" Warren asked.

"Not necessarily." Harry said.

"Some kids do." Neville said, "But mostly accidental magic from kids are based off of emotions, rather than too much magical backup. They don't know how to restrain the discharges, anways."

Harry suddenly remembered that Neville's family had held him out of a window and dropped him to force the magic out of him. No doubt, he knew quite a bit about accidental magic in children.

"Sounds harsh." Warren said. "Why would you bottle it all in, then?"

"Various reasons, I should think." Harry said. "One of which being that it's harder for others to sense your magic when you restrain your discharge."

"So you wouldn't be able to feel them?" Warren asked.

"No, it's just harder to." Harry said, and pointed at Neville, "Neville's pretty good at restraining his magical discharge, so I have a harder time sensing that he's around, since I can't feel the magic that he gives off as well as I can others."

"Huh." Warren said, clearly interested, but Harry rather thought that he didn't fully understand it. Harry wasn't sure why it was so difficult, he had learned about magical discharge early in his time with the Founders. He could restrain parts of his magic, namely the more dangerous parts, but not all of it, which was why people around him were usually able to feel his moods.

It was also why his aura was so dangerous. He completely restrained the discharge of parts of his magic that carry the intent to harm, the parts tainted by Voldemort's curse on him. When he held the discharge in for too long, like any witch or wizard who didn't use magic for a great length of time, it would burst out of him in a fit of accidental magic. The problem was that his magic was lethal, and tended to have a taste for death, as per Voldemort's will.

"Did you see the Prophet yesterday, Darion?" Neville asked. "Everybody's talking."

Harry looked up to see Neville eyeing the students around them a little nervously.

"You'd think that they would stop believing it all." Neville said.

Harry nodded but before he could respond, there was a commotion at the other end of the Great Hall. Harry turned in his seat to look, but didn't stand nor draw attention to himself. He already knew what the commotion was, the group of blue-robed wizards making their way into the Great Hall told him just about all he needed to know.

Albus's entrance after them, in a flurry of yellow robes, drew everybody's attention. Harry couldn't really hear what was being said, but the Headmaster had managed to hold up the Ministry delegation rather effectively. Harry watched, amused, as Albus turned the party around and all but marched them back into the entrance hall.

"Well," Harry said, looking at Neville, "Time for me to go."

Neville started, looking a little anxious, but rose and followed him none-the-less. They weren't the only ones standing and leaving the Hall, most of the students, driven by curiosity, made their way to the doors.

Harry led Neville the opposite way, towards the small side doors near the teacher's tables. Somewhere along the way, Luna and Warren were lost in the shuffling crowd, or they hadn't bothered to follow them in the first place. Harry didn't worry about it.

Snape met them at the door and ushered them into the hallway.

"Congratulations, Elddir," Snape sneered in much the same why he used to. Harry was a bit impressed that he got 'Elddir' to sound the same as when he said 'Potter'. "You've actually managed to drag another student into your mess."

Harry shot him a crooked grin, "Thanks, Professor." he said, his sarcasm clear. Snape scowled at him and led them down the corridor. Harry patted Neville on the shoulder as he followed, trying to reassure the nervous boy.

"You should go back to the Hall." Harry told him. "Coming with me will make them think that you were involved."

"Bu-But I was." Neville said.

Harry nodded. "But they can't prove that, nor do they really know."

"Return to your House, Mr. Longbottom." Snape ordered.

Neville half stammered a "Yes, sir" and turned on his heal, nearly tripping over his robes as he retreated down the hall. Harry watched him go a minute before following Snape into a narrow stairwell that would take them to the dungeons.

They traversed the halls in silence, hearing the vague sounds from the student body above them echo along the corridors. Snape led them, not to his chambers, but to the Potions Classroom. Harry shut the door behind him as he entered, and crossed the room.

"They will convict you if they can." Snape said, standing behind his desk and staring at the papers stacked on it, "The Ministry has been infiltrated for months, and the Dark Lord is clearly looking to pin this mess on you."

"He knows who I am." Harry agreed. "But it seems a little off his usual style."

"You are about to be arrested, and you're worried about his style?" Snape asked, looking up at him incredulously.

Harry shrugged. "I don't think it was his plan. It's too flamboyant."

Snape sneered, but didn't contradict him.

"I'm not going to lie to them about the basics of the events." Harry said. "They'll learn soon enough who was there, and while I may be able to get around Veritaserum, others cannot. Tell those who were involved not to lie about it if questioned.

"That will not help you." Snape said.

"But it'll help the others."

Snape sniffed, clearly not impressed by his self-sacrifice.

"Trust Draco." Harry said, suddenly remembering that Snape likely did not know that Draco had defied the Death Eaters.

Snape started slightly and stared at him, but before either could continue the conversation, voices could be heard through the door. Harry could only vaguely feel the presence of the crowd. Deciding to forgoe letting them into the classroom, which no doubt Snape would not appreciate, Harry walked to the door and out into the hallway.

The Ministry delegation consisted mostly of what Harry knew to be Aurors and Hit-Wizards, though he suspected a few others were present as well. The presence of the Ministry had attracted the attention of the student population, many of which had tried to follow them all down to the dungeons. The result was a rather crowded corridor.

"Ah, Darion." Albus greeted, his words jovial, though Harry saw the distinct lack of good mood in his eyes, "I thought you might be down here."

Harry nodded, keeping an eye on the Ministry workers, "The NEWT level Potions class starts soon." He said, letting them assume what they would of his words. It should not have been a secret to them that he was Apprenticed to the Hogwarts Potions Master.

"You are Darion Elddir?" a tall, blue-robed man asked him. Harry turned his attention to him, noticing a few extra badges on the man's robes.

"Yes."

"Darion Elddir," the man continued, "You have no wand registered with the Ministry, please surrender your wand so that it may be recorded."

Harry blinked, finding the request a little unexpected. "I don't have a wand." He said, spreading his hands slightly with his palms upward.

"Where is it, then?" A little Wizard asked over the shoulder of the first.

"I told you, I don't have one."

"All Wizards have a wand, where did you hide it?" the short, skinny wizard asked, his voice raising an octave as he all but yelled his question.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man as the taller Wizard turned a quelling look to his subordinate. "I have no wand." Harry said, his voice a bit cold.

"How do you cast spells, then?" one of the Ministry workers asked. Harry didn't catch which one spoke the question.

Harry shrugged. "Wandless?"

"Just arrest him, DeMonte!" the skinny wizard said from the man's shoulder, "He clearly hid the wand somewhere, knowing we'd come for him!"

The tall one – DeMonte – frowned down at him, his dark mustache twitching a little. Harry wasn't sure what he was thinking, or whether they could actually arrest him without proof that his was the wand that cast the spells. He rather thought in the end that it probably didn't matter. He was sure that he felt the sinuous darkness of a Mark in the crowd of Ministry employees. The lack of a wand would not make them leave him alone.

"I, Jevic DeMonte," the man began, drawing himself up to his full height and glowering down his nose at Harry, "hereby arrest Darion Elddir for the murders of eleven Witches and Wizards in the square of Hogsmeade Village, for the hunting and murders of seven Pureblood Wizards in the manor Dreary Hold, for the torture and burning of nine Muggles, for the destruction of the historic property of Dreary Hold, the kidnapping of one Percival Weasley, and for the poisoning of the Lord Malfoy. Do you deny these charges?"

oooOoooOoooOooo

**Author's Note:** ooo. cliff hanger. evil laugh Think he'll run or submit?


	42. Haldren's Cuffs

**Author's Note:** I was out of the country for half a year, but it still took me a couple months to update this. Apologies for the way too long wait. I'm still trudging away at this fic. I'm determined to finish it, even if it takes me years. ^-^

Many thanks to all of you how sent me messages and notes asking me to update this. Even if I didn't usually respond to them, you encouraged me to keep coming back to this fic. Kudos!

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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**Last Time**

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"I, Jevic DeMonte," the man began, drawing himself up to his full height and glowering down his nose at Harry, "hereby arrest Darion Elddir for the murders of eleven Witches and Wizards in the square of Hogsmeade Village, for the hunting and murders of seven Pureblood Wizards in the manor Dreary Hold, for the torture and burning of nine Muggles, for the destruction of the historic property of Dreary Hold, the kidnapping of one Percival Weasley, and for the poisoning of the Lord Malfoy. Do you deny these charges?"

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Forty-One**

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**Haldren's Cuffs**

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Harry repeated the list of charges in his head, making sure that the numbers were right and that nothing was too outlandish. He had no idea how they thought they could charge him with the kidnapping of Percy. He hadn't even realized that the kid was out of the Hogwarts Infirmary. He glanced at Albus, but the old man just shrugged slightly.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to ignore the looks on the faces of the Hogwarts residents around him, "Only that I kidnapped no one, did not harm the Muggles and I left the manor of Dreary Hold unburned."

Harry had the fleeting thought that he was denying the lesser of the charges placed against him, and thought it a bit ironic.

"Oh," Harry added, making DeMonte pause in whatever he was about to say, "And I tried to kill Voldemort, nearly succeeded in killing Bellatrix Lestrange and I'm an unregistered Animagus." Harry looked thoughtful. "I do believe that's it, unless keeping a griffin as a Familiar is a crime."

Harry was pretty sure that the skinny little wizard was about to have an aneurism. DeMonte glowered at him, clearly not pleased with Harry's easy-going front and strong hint of sarcasm. Harry rather figured that the man deserved it. He didn't have time to be arrested and get hauled throughout the entirety of the Ministry's incompetent criminal processes. If Harry had to deal with the mess, then he certainly wasn't going to make it easy on any of them.

"Ah, Mr. Elddir," Albus piped up, his eyes twinkling between Harry and DeMonte, "Ms. Lestrange died last evening in our Infirmary. Her wounds were simply too severe for her to pull through the ordeal, I'm afraid. Though I do believe that it was not your curse who caused her injuries, am I correct?"

"Not as much, no." Harry said and shrugged. "Technically it was Voldemort's, though she made a nice shield in the middle of that particular scuffle."

Albus nodded, looking back to DeMonte expectantly. Harry copied the man's look about perfectly, trying to hide his mixed feelings of amusement and annoyance at the entire Ministry party.

"So be it." DeMonte stated, motioning to one of his men. Harry didn't pay much attention to the man walking up to him, he was more interested in the shackles clinking in his hands. Harry had not been aware that the Ministry had begun using cuffs for their arrests, at least the normal arrests.

Harry held out his hands further, which he had not dropped from earlier, and watched as the man moved to close the metal cuffs around his wrists. He hesitated, though, at the sight of the scars running up Harry's arms, his eyes wide as he stared. Harry didn't move.

"What is the problem?" DeMonte asked, glaring at the two.

The man shook his head and clapped the first cuff around Harry's wrist. The metal was cold and too big for his arms, hanging loosely around his wrist. He'd be able to slip them off without any trouble. The second cuff clicked closed, and the man stepped away, making the length of chain between his arms clink. Harry eyed the cuffs around his wrists, a little dubious about their ability to restrain him.

Suddenly a sharp pain struck the inside of his arms, as if he had been bitten. Sucking in a sharp breath Harry stared as the cuffs glowed red and shrunk around his arms. At first he thought that they would continue to shrink, but they stopped as the metal rested snuggly against his skin, not too tight to cut off circulation, but there would be no slipping out of them. The glow around them faded and the cuffs returned to their normal dull metallic color, but they were no longer cold.

"You will be escorted to the holding cells of the Ministry," DeMonte said, a note of approval in his voice, "Where you will be questioned and tried."

Harry barely heard him; the tingling along the scars on his arms was too distracting. He had a feeling that the shackles around his wrists were more complicated than they looked.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," DeMonte turned away from Harry, obviously no longer considering him a threat of any sort. "The Ministry must question the following parties in relation to the charges placed against Darion Elddir."

"Continue, please, Mr. DeMonte." Albus said in a neutral tone. Harry thought that he heard a bit of steel behind his voice.

DeMonte pulled himself up straighter. "If you will release the following into our hands," he said, "Severus Snape, Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood and Edward Wintersview."

Harry blinked. Those were not the names he had expected to hear, though he wasn't surprised at hearing Edward's name thrown into the mess.

"Severus Snape is a Professor of this school," Albus said, "And I leave it to his discretion whether he will answer your questions here or elsewhere. As for the others, Misters Malfoy and Wintersview were not involved, and do not need to be questioned. Both Mr. Longbottom and Miss Lovegood are under age, and therefore you will have to contact their guardians so that they may be present. I will not release any of my students into your hands, Mr. DeMonte, this is a school, and they are all under my protection."

Harry was pretty sure that DeMonte was not at all pleased with Albus' little speech. His narrowed eyes and pursed lips all but screamed his displeasure. Harry silently cheered. Albus knew well how to protect his students. Harry had little worry that any of the students the Ministry tried to target would be well guarded.

"Very well, Dumbledore." DeMonte said tightly, "We will contact the student's guardians on the matter."

Albus nodded, but didn't say anything. DeMonte turned away from him, picking out Snape's form standing in the doorway to his classroom.

"If you will come with us, Snape." DeMonte said, clearly expecting the man to obey him. Harry's raised eyebrow reflected Snape's expression.

"I fail to recall when I was asked at what location I would prefer to endure your interrogations, DeMonte." Snape sneered. Harry got the feeling that the two had met before.

DeMonte bristled. "Well?"

Snape's lip curled into a snarl, "I have no desire to leave Hogwarts grounds." He said, "If you insist on dragging me into this mess, than you can ask your questions here. My office should suffice."

Harry smirked slightly. Snape was most at home in a potions lab, but his office wasn't far from the same environment. And if Harry wasn't much mistaken, the thought of spending any amount of time within Snape's office did not appeal to DeMonte in the least.

DeMonte nodded and followed Snape through the classroom, half of his Ministry escort in tow. Harry glanced around himself as the door to Snape's office closed barely short of a slam. With DeMonte's group cut in half, only half a dozen were left to surround Harry, none of which paid him much mind. Harry wasn't sure whether he was happy about that or miffed that they thought him to be such a little threat.

Harry shifted, the chains between his arms clinking as he moved. The motion drew a few glances from the Ministry employees, but they still did little to ensure that he didn't try to bolt. His suspicions about the shackles increased. His arms still tingled strangely.

Harry watched absently as Albus began to usher the students out of the hallway and on to their classes. A few tried to linger, their curiosity piqued by the events, no doubt trying to collect as much information as they could to feed the Hogwarts rumor mill. Harry saw no sign of any of his old friends, though he was pretty sure that he spotted a flash of Weasley-red hair before it disappeared up the stairs. Whether it was Ron or Ginny, he couldn't tell.

Harry kept his silence, his eyes wandering amongst the ministry workers and watching their varied reactions to him. For all their emotions towards him, none kept a close enough eye on him as they would have if he had a wand in his hand. It was as if they saw no threat or possible threat from him at all. He figured that the cuffs likely affected his ability to cast spells, not that they would really expect him to be able to without a wand. Harry wondered if they realized that whatever the cuffs did to his magic, he could still fight them all without it and would likely even over power them within the narrow hallway.

Albus watched the ministry workers as well, standing near the stairwell after the last of the students had left. Neither Harry nor Albus would risk speaking much to each other with the ministry to hear them. Harry wasn't terribly worried. Albus would protect the students involved, and Harry could take care of himself well enough, even when caged within the ministry's political intrigues.

The door to the potions door slammed open on its hinges, banging against the rock walls of the hallway with a crack. Harry raised an eyebrow as DeMonte and his lackeys stalked out of the room. DeMonte looked ready to burst and his left eye was twitching noticeably. Harry glanced past them and saw Snape standing behind his desk with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face to rival the worst of glares and snarls that had ever been directed at the entire Potter family combined. Harry gave the man a look but Snape was too distracted with glaring holes in the back of DeMonte's head to acknowledge him.

"Move." DeMonte growled, his eyes flashing around the ministry workers loosely surrounding Harry. The skinny wizard following behind DeMonte's shoulder stared at Harry then motioned at the others. Harry felt two hands grab his arms and he glanced at the two men on either side of him. Neither seemed terribly nervous about him, their eyes were flickering between DeMonte and the skinny little wizard next to him. Harry gave a small, breathy snort, feeling a bit insulted with their inattention.

Harry let the two guide him down the hallway after the stalking form of DeMonte. Albus watched them approach over the top of his half-moon glasses and without a word turned and led them out of the dungeons.

They passed only a few students, most of them younger years, as they left the castle. Harry remained silent and let the men around him guide where he walked. He was more interested in the shackles and their affect on his magic. Besides the strange tingling in his arms he was having trouble reaching out to the Familiar link with Cineris. Harry didn't mind the dampening of his magic though he was worried about what could happen if the cuffs remained on him too long, but not being able to communicate, or barely even feel, the link to Cin was more bothersome than he had ever thought it could be. But Harry had left Cin in Albus's office, sulking under a table in a corner. Harry knew that Albus would take care of the troublesome Griffin cub, though Harry wondered if the old man was really prepared to deal with a distraught, unmanageable griffin cub bereft of its Wizard.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry paid only minimal attention to the processes of checking a prisoner into the holding cells of the Ministry. He spoke not a word, forcing the Auror's around him to grumble and threaten, much to his unhidden amusement. They had stripped him of his gear and most of his clothing, leaving him only in his slacks and barefoot. Harry had found the whole ordeal somewhat annoying, but he had refused to show how much the others were getting on his nerves, and instead simply smirked back at the lot of them.

The skinny little wizard – whose name Harry still hadn't caught or remembered – pushed him none too gently into an iron-barred cell. Harry stumbled only slightly in the small space, the chains jingling at the motion and turned back to look at the small delegation in the hallway. DeMonte stood behind the heads of the few Aurors, the skinny one at the forefront and sneering at him as he slammed the door shut with a clang.

Harry stood straight and just watched them in return, still not speaking or really revealing any of his emotions past a vague look of amusement. The stone flooring was cold under his bare feet, and without his shirt and robes he felt the cool air of the Ministry building keenly. He could also still sense the subtle, slimy darkness that was the Voldemort's Dark Mark. He still didn't know which of the group bore it, but he now knew each of their faces well enough to be wary of them the next time he saw them until he figured out which one it was.

"Comfortable?" the skinny wizard asked, his eyes dark.

Harry didn't respond, didn't even twitch, which made the skinny little man sneer at him and make a jerked motion that Harry couldn't quite identify.

"Let's go." DeMonte said, his voice strained. The skinny wizard didn't respond and DeMonte turned his attention to Harry. "Don't try to use magic, those cuffs will stop any attempts, even something wandless."

Harry nodded very slightly. He already knew that. The strange, growing tingling in his arms where the wand cores were nestled told him that his ability to cast spells had been disrupted.

DeMonte narrowed his eyes at him for a moment and then motioned for the group to leave. Harry watched them from his erect position in the middle of the cell as they disappeared down the hall.

Once they were gone Harry looked around the cell. It wasn't large, no more than three meters square, and had a fold down cot on one side. It was clear that it wasn't meant to serve long term, there was no toilet and the cot would serve better as a table than a bed.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry had sat silently on the hard bed for the following five hours, ignoring any comments from passersby and staring at the rune-etched manacles around his wrists. He recognized some of the runes, but not the pattern they made. Runes had not been a subject that he learned to any form of advanced degree. He knew enough of the basics of the topic, but that was about it. The only etchings on the iron that weren't runes were a scratchy series of handwriting that spelled out a name he could only half read. Something, something that looked like either an I or a J or maybe an H, then the name Haldren. He wasn't familiar with the name. He still didn't know exactly what the manacles did to his magic, but he had figured out a couple of the side effects.

After five hours, the slight itching sensation in his arms had spread up to his elbows and developed to a low, thrumming ache.

"Can't be good." He whispered, restraining the urge to scratch the scars along his arms. The ache was deeper than his skin, though, so he knew scratching would do him little good. He wondered about the meaning such a feeling had. His magic, he knew, always tended to roll off of him, a discharge that was near continuous and rarely felt or noticed by either himself or anyone around him, but there just the same. He feared that if his magic – and the malevolent will of Voldemort's latent spell laced throughout his own – couldn't taper off of him as usual, would force a loss of control. Or more likely, a backlash of magic and power that would cause a great amount of damage.

Harry was not looking forward to finding out what would happen if he didn't get the cuffs off of him before it was too late. He could only control the magic so much, and the Founders were no longer nearby to contain the damages. He was sure that if the cuffs continued to block his magic's natural discharge that the resulting explosion would be quite spectacular, and he wasn't sure that he or anyone around him would survive it.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**A/N:** It's coming… it's coming. I beg for your patience (more of it). Unfortunately this is a shorter chapter, though it contains all it was meant to.

Hm, some of my newer stuff has such longer chapters nowadays. This one is interesting for me with it's short, quicker installments. Ah well. Onwards then.


	43. The Director

**Chapter Dedication:** to each and every one of you who sent me messages bugging me about updating this thing. You're much appreciated. Thanks for your perseverance! I have not forgotten you.

**Author's Note:** Good grief, this story needs work. Looking back on it after what – two years, three, since it's starting, I can't believe the masses of mistakes, issues, and weird crap that I put into this thing. That said, I'm still determined to finish it if just because I started it, and it's soooo close to being complete. Please bear with me on my horrid updates, and long waits between chapters with a story that should well be abandoned due to epic failure.

LoL. I get some of the most interesting reviews on this story…

"ss,Parseltongue,ss" Just so that you know.

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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**Last Time**

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry was not looking forward to finding out what would happen if he didn't get the cuffs off of him before it was too late. He could only control the magic so much, and the Founders were no longer nearby to contain the damages. He was sure that if the cuffs continued to block his magic's natural discharge that the resulting explosion would be quite spectacular, and he wasn't sure that he or anyone around him would survive it.

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**The Founders' Heir**

**Chapter Forty-Two**

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**The Director**

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Cygnus Chilcott watched the room spin, his fingers tapping nervously against his thigh in a broken rhythm as he waited out the room. Once it stopped he stalked across the round antechamber and through a door with only small hesitation. The office beyond was tall and cluttered, filled with ebony shelves reaching far above his head that were overflowing with scrolls and tombs, files and folders. An odd assortment of knick-knacks and items he couldn't identify were scattered about. Some looked like ancient instruments of torture, and old childhood toys. A skeleton of an infant dragon of unknown species hung sinuously along one of the upper shelves, half cast in shadow, and partially illuminated sunlight. Light streamed down from a high round window, and Cygnus squinted against the brightness of the morning sun. It cast the office's dark décor into a strange discord that put him on edge.

"Chilcott," a man's voice greeted him. Cygnus couldn't see the man past a general, silhouetted outline. He was seated behind a raised desk that put the sun's streaming light just behind and above his head. Cygnus could only make out a head of light hair and broad, barely-stooped shoulders.

"Director," Cygnus returned his greeting. "Elddir's here."

"Yes, I know."

Cygnus waited for more and when nothing seemed forthcoming he offered more information. "He did not deny the charges placed on him and he came willingly."

"As expected," the Director said, his tone curiously satisfied.

Cygnus against lapsed into silence. The Director's sudden interest in the boy, Elddir wasn't in itself unusual, but Cygnus heard the note of familiarity in the other man's voice when speaking of the boy, as if he knew the lad. Cygnus had done his own investigating into the mysterious Elddir, and had found nothing. That only the Director and perhaps Albus Dumbledore knew who the boy was or where he came from was curious in the least. When the Ministry directive came down the Auror lines to arrest the boy on a host of charges Cygnus had taken the chance to see this boy for himself.

And then the Director had called him into his office.

Cygnus hadn't been into the deep parts of the Ministry in months, typically receiving his few, short orders from the Director via messenger, which suited him fine if he didn't have to deal with the Director's odd theatrics.

"Elddir was placed in low-security confinement," Cygnus continued, trying to guess what the Director was looking for from him. "With the administering of Haldren's Cuffs, the Auror Depart –"

"What?"

The Director's voice was sudden and harsh, cutting through Cygnus's words and thoughts like a sword.

"He was placed in low-security," Cygnus repeated.

"You placed Haldren's Cuffs on him?" the Director asked in a dark tone.

Cygnus didn't respond, biting his tongue till he tasted the copper tang of his own blood. The man seated behind the curtain of morning sunlight was the man said to be in charge of the Unspeakables. Cygnus had counted himself amongst those number for almost a year, but had only met with the Director twice before, and had never seen more than the man's outline. The Director and his shadowy team of cowled Unspeakables were revered and sometimes feared, and no matter that Cygnus may be one of them – or being courted to be one, rather – he certainly didn't feel like it, standing before the Director like a schoolboy before the Headmaster with dirty hands. He wondered if he was about to be expelled from their ranks before ever fully having joined them.

"You, my boy," the Director finally said, drawing Cygnus out of his panicky thoughts. "Have just created a ticking bomb."

Cygnus blinked at the other man's darkly amused voice. "A what?"

Cygnus stared as the Director leaned back in his chair, pulling away from the bright streaming light enough for shadows to fill in features with color. Graying sandy hair atop head and chin did little to disguise a square jaw and strong shoulders. He looked both younger and older than expected; the unbending wisdom of age mixed with the willowy strength of youth. The man's dark eyes seemed to bore into him with something akin to amusement, as if the older man found Cygnus to be a child that was caught doing something terribly foolish.

"And you have no idea, do you, pure-blood?" The Director's lips quirked into a dark, promising smirk.

Cygnus suddenly felt very small.

oooOoooOoooOooo

Harry was restraining himself from scratching at his arms when he got his first visitor. The cuffs around his wrists and the magical suppression that they wrought made the scars along his forearms itch and burn, and he could feel his magic shifting uneasily under his skin, making his head feel a little wooly and his stomach roil. Over all he wasn't very comfortable and the negative aspects of his magic were agitating not only his physical body but his nerves and emotions as well.

So when DeMonte's skinny wizard counterpart returned with a couple unnamed Aurors and a red-headed Weasley, Harry's temper was far shorter than he would have liked when dealing with a Percy imposter and an as yet unidentified Death Eater. He could feel the subtle taint of darkness that the Dark Mark left. He hadn't yet figured out which of DeMonte's party wore it, but he knew it was there.

Harry eyed Percy warily, knowing that the boy should have been secreted away by Dumbledore somewhere still healing from whatever ailments he had from being held by the Death Eaters in a dungeon. Harry knew that the Percy Weasley standing next to the skinny wizard was not the real one. Despite knowing that the real Percy was still wounded, Harry could also see a calculated darkness in his eyes that Harry had never witnessed in any Weasley – though if he was honest with himself, the twins had come close.

"Elddir," the skinny man started, stepping up to the bars of the cell, and squinting down at him. Harry sniffed and peered back at the man from his seated position on the metal bench. The skinny guy looked shaken and pale, as if he had just been given a good scare. Harry wondered what had happened to him or who the other man had managed to piss off. He wasn't feeling very sorry for him.

The man glared at him through narrowed eyes, to which Harry merely looked back at him. The other broke the staring contest early and with a jerky motion, one of his lackies approached with a metal tray. The cell door was unlocked and opened with barely a by-your-leave. The man set the tray on the floor and skid it forward with a booted toe.

Harry eyed the tray with some confusion until he recognized that it was, perhaps, supposed to be food. Harry rose slowly and wandered towards the bars and the tray on the floor. The man remained in the doorway, blocking his immediate escape, but otherwise seemingly unconcerned about Harry closing the distance between them. Harry stared down at the tray, trying to decipher the grey lumps. It was cold. If he had been hungry, he no longer was.

Harry looked back up at the group with a raised brow. "No."

The skinny wizard's superior glare turned into shocked indignance.

"Eat it, Elddir," the man spat out.

Harry shook his head, looking down at the wannabe-food with feigned morose. He couldn't even smell anything off it.

"If you wanted to poison me, you should have chosen something more appetizing than cold slop," Harry advised.

"There is no need for poison, boy."

Harry gave them a flat look, unimpressed and unconvinced.

"Which of you bears it, then?" Harry asked, looking between the little group. "I bet it's that one," Harry pointed at the not-Percy. "He's the one with the Mark. I can see the Dark in his eyes, you know."

Harry continued before any of them could offer a defense. "Did old Tom ask for my head? What's he offering to the one who takes care of little Elddir while he's deep in the Ministry's hold? Will he make you a Lieutenant? Free your family from some dungeon?" Harry leaned forward and pinned the group with a dark gaze through the bars. "Did he promise you the Killing Curse instead of a horrific death?"

The not-Percy had a decidedly non-Weasley look about him now. His face twisted into something mean and almost deranged. The skinny one looked somewhat closed off, while the last two didn't seem to quite know what they had gotten into. The skinny wizard gripped the bars

"What is your name?" Harry asked, preempting whatever drivel the other man was about to say.

He sputtered and spit out a name, seemingly against his better judgment. "Chilcott."

"Chilcott?" Harry repeated. He knew that name, and very well. "A pure-blood name."

Chilcott was stiff and Harry continued, pressing the advantage. "Do you have a son, Chilcott? Or perhaps a little daughter?"

The man's pallor faded further and Harry felt himself smirk.

"Which is it?" Harry prompted. "It's the little one, isn't it? What's her name? Ceridwen, isn't it? Named for her mother's mum. Does your little girl know that her mother only deigned to share your bed but once? Does she know that's why you had her – taken care of?"

Chilcott's skinny frame had all but frozen now, and his brown eyes were wide as he stared at Harry as if he had caught a dragon in a gnome trap.

"Shut up!" Chilcott spat, lunging close to the bars to spit his fury in Harry's face. Harry merely stared back at the little man, his thoughts on the girl he had known and called friend, who had told him more about her family story than she had ought to, knowing the rules they had all lived under for a time. Harry could never understand how such a girl could have come from a father like the one she had been saddled with. She looked nothing like the skinny little wizard straining at Harry's jail bars did.

"Don't worry, Chilcott," Harry said coolly, "She'll rise above anything you could ever hope to be. She'll best all your family and make the Chilcott name a great one, and all will remember _her_. Not little, old, you. I she even yours?"

Chilcott snarled and lunged at the bars, shooting a fist through and towards Harry's chin. Harry leaned his upper body back, and swiped a harsh blow in the opposite direction. He caught the man's elbow and continued his swing, bending the joint in the direction that it is not supposed to go. The quick, wet sound, _'snap, snap, pop'_ echoed sickly in the hollow space of the cell as Harry hyper-extended the man's elbow severely.

Chilcott howled.

The man in the doorway lunged forward, but Harry was quicker, dodging to the side and with a push off the bed with his feet he gained height over the taller man. The long length of chain between his bound wrists tangled around the man's neck, and Harry let himself fall to the floor.

The other man came with him, landing in a gasping and flailing heap. Harry connected his bare heel with the man's right temple; hard.

Harry rose slowly, eyeing the skinny Chilcott who was folded at the base of the cell's bars, his arms tangled through and around them as the man held his broken arm with his good. He had yet to pull his arm back through the narrow bars and had taken to huddling against them, staring at Harry with pain-filled watery eyes.

A door slammed from down the corridor and Harry eyed the empty space beyond his cell. The last two of the group had disappeared, the not-Percy being one of them.

Harry nudged the tray of cold slop to sit under the man's nose. "Poison, Chilcott?" Harry asked. "Not a very creative way to deal with a Founders' Heir. I had to deal with Salazar Slytherin for years, mind. Your pesky little attempts at poisoning and intimidation are pathetic. Who charged you with it? Or did you think it up yourself?"

Chilcott merely whimpered and tried to curl further around the bars of the cell. He had apparently, completely forgotten that he was a Wizard with a wand. Speaking of…

Harry searched him with little care for the man's injury, thinking only that he was going to have to apologize to Ceridwen if he saw her again, for giving her father such harsh treatment. Despite her general dislike of the man, the she would not have approved and Harry knew it. Harry pocketed the guy's wand and Ministry badge, patted him non-too-gently on his broken arm, and walked out of the cell.

It was easy to find his way out of the holding cells. The area was nearly empty and he didn't encounter any Aurors interested in stopping him. The elevator, too, was easy to find and Harry paused as he studied the row of buttons and letters, eyeing his bare feet and the hem of his slacks – which were the only things besides the shackles that he wore. He wondered how conspicuous he'd be wandering through the busy Ministry Atrium on a Monday morning.

Perhaps a back way out would better serve.

Harry pushed the button labeled 'Q' and watched the lift's doors close with a cheery ting as he mentally reviewed the obscure directions he had been told of through the Ministry's lower levels that would lead to one of its secret back doors. The lift stopped and opened to a long, blank hallway. Harry exited and the lift closed behind him. He eyed the expanse of hallway for a moment before moving swiftly down its empty length, the chain rattling against his knees. It was just as he was nearing the lone door at the end of the hall that the ting of the lift sounded loud in the silent hall. Harry looked over his shoulder as the lift doors opened to reveal an elaborately panicked-looking Percy Weasley and a team of blue-clad Aurors led by the stiff DeMonte.

"There he is!" the not-Percy hollared, waving a finger down the hall towards Harry. "Elddir! He attacked Chilcott and Hotts. I think he might've killed him! He's after something!"

"Don't go any further, Elddir!" DeMonte called, as he sprinted down the hallway. Wands were brandished with sure hands as the group swarmed out of the lift into the narrow hallway, but none of the Aurors got a clear aim at Harry with the wide-shouldered DeMonte barreling down in their way.

Harry closed the distance between himself and door, unsure if he wanted to take on DeMonte with a flock of Aurors at the man's back. His hesitation cost him his choice, as DeMonte cast a a couple quick Stunners at him, forcing Harry to dodge them, and taking him away from his escape in the process.

Harry clapped his hands together and the chain clanked and rattled as it twirled and twisted among itself. With a few quick steps towards the advancing DeMonte, Harry swung his arms in a wide, low arc, using the chain as a swinging weapon aimed for the man's chin. Harry missed the man's chin, but got his forearm as DeMonte blocked the attack. Harry's chain rattled around the man's arm, and DeMonte pulled. Harry shot forward off his feet and found the man's fist with his stomach. The blow knocked the wind clear out of him and sent him to his knees gasping.

"Elddir," DeMonte growled out from above him.

Harry could only gasp in air as his diaphragm tried to mutiny, staring blankly at the man's arm, wrapped in chains, clasping a wand...

Harry sucked in air, ignoring whatever DeMonte was spouting out of his mouth, and grabbed the man's wand with a deathgrip in both hands. DeMonte jerked out of reflex, but didn't pull away further.

"Fool, you can't cast with Haldren's Cuffs," DeMonte sneered. "My wand will do you no good."

"Yes it will," Harry said around his attempts to suck air into his lungs. Harry did what he really should not have: he cast a spell with a wand in his hands.

Haldren's Cuffs blocked Harry's ability to cast magic, no matter that he would use a wand or not. The Cuffs prevented the spell from going anywhere and with an ordinary wizard with a wand, would likely have just chucked the magic straight back into the wizard. But Harry wasn't just attempting to cast through Haldren's suppressing Cuffs, but through the two wand cores that lay imbedded within his forearms.

Harry felt the magic build alarmingly, and surge out through his arms and into the wand he held in reverse. The Cuffs heated and flared a bright glow and the magic followed suit. It flared like a small sun, just as bright and hotter than any fire. Harry squeezed his eyes shut against the light and turned his face away. The super-heated magic waned and surged again and suddenly it seemed to be sucked back into Harry's arms.

A near-soundless _boom_ echoed in the hallway and Harry was flung backwards, crashing into something hard and unforgiving and bouncing back onto the floor like a rag doll.

Harry couldn't really see. Bright and dark spots danced across his eyes, blocking out most of the hallway, though he could barely discern that the Aurors at the other end of the hall seemed to be on their butts the same as he was. He caught a glimpse of DeMonte's boots nearby before a dark splotch obscured that section of his sight. Harry groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees, ignoring the numbness that had come over his arms.

He couldn't quite balance on his own, so he used the wall to find the door behind him, shuffling along with only the goal of putting space between him and the idiot decision he had just made.

Harry heard a muffled, "Halt!" before he slammed the door in their faces.

The wall spun away from him, nearly taking his hand on the doorknob with it. Harry stepped back hastily as the room spun around, whipping up his hair. A strange, distant echo of the Aurors' shouts drifted to him periodically, mixed amongst other semi-distant sounds that came and went as the doors spun. The room slowed and stopped and Harry inspected the identical doors that circled him. Silence reigned. His arms tingled as if he had spent all night laying atop them.

"Damn." Harry had no idea which door was which, and from his limited knowledge of the room, their destinations changed depending on their placement in the circle. There were more rooms connected to these doors than there were doors. And they all looked the same. He'd have to go through a trial and error to find the correct one.

Shrugging Harry stepped forward to the door directly in front of him, intent on simply making his way around the circle to find the one he was looking for. The first door led to a strange, small room stacked full of cauldrons. Harry blinked at the storeroom and the incredible variety of cauldrons before closing the door with an incredulous shake of his head. He moved on to the next.

"Your capacity for attracting trouble never ceases to amaze me, Darion."

Harry froze at the voice, his fingers brushing the brass knob of the door, the voice's familiarity sparking in his mind. It took him a moment to put the voice from behind him to a memory; the memory of an Heir.

"Gideon," Harry said neutrally as he turned on his heel. He dropped his arms to his sides, feeling no trace of either aggression or trickery. The chains rattled as they settled around his legs.

The old man before him smirked as Harry took in the site of his aged friend. Gideon had clearly lived a span close to Albus' years or more; yet Harry could still see the spark of youth and mischief that Gideon Gervaise had always born.

Harry quirked his mouth a bit deviously, eying the grayed length of sandy hair the man had tied at his neck.

"You've changed," Harry said, his smirk growing.

Gideon looked a bit irritated at that.

"I've matured," he said. Harry could all but taste the airs of personal superiority in the statement.

"You've gotten old," Harry deadpanned, his face carefully blank, but he knew his eyes betrayed his mischief.

Gideon gave a gruff "harrumph," and sniffed dismissively as he gave Harry a critical once-over. "You haven't changed a bit," he said, attempting scorn but smirking through the act. "Figures."

Harry snorted, barely containing a grin.

A distant bang of a door and shuffling of feet broke them from their game. Harry turned and eyed the doors of the room, trying to pinpoint where the sound had originated and what direction the Aurors were likely to come through.

"This way," Gideon said, pushing an ajar door open further. Harry didn't hesitate, hearing the semi-distant sound of the Auror's voices grow a little too close for comfort. He had no desire to try and fight off a contingent of armed Wizards without his magic, Founders' training or not. Gideon ushered him through the door, pulling it closed behind them with a soft click.

A second later the sound of another door opening and the many feet of a group of booted men spilling into the spinning chamber drifted to them. Harry held his breath as the Aurors fanned out into the room, calling orders to each other.

A door closed and the room spun and all sounds were silenced from beyond the door.

"They can't hear us," Gideon said from behind him. Harry turned. "And they can't enter here, even if they knew which door to use at which apex."

Harry raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Your office?" Harry asked, taking in the tall, shelved room they now stood in. Gideon gave a distracted affirmative as he disappeared through a doorway opposite to their entrance. Harry caught sight of a comfortable sitting room beyond.

"Do you live here too?" Harry called after him.

There was no answer, not that he had really expected one. Harry turned his attention to his old friend's office. It was a large room, if only due to its impressive height. The tall shelves that flanked each side were crowded and over-flowing with books and knick-knacks. A few jars of unidentified substance were dotted about, acting as bookends or paperweights alongside chunks of sparkling rocks and what looked to be a petrified Grindylow. Harry found himself particularly fond of the small skeleton of a newly hatched Peruvian Vipertooth Dragon that was stretched out high in the deep rafters of the ceiling as if it had been caught flying through the high window. Below the window that was emitting a soft glow of afternoon sunlight, was a long painting of the Hogwarts' grounds as seen from Rowena's Tower.

"I had heard rumors of a crazed bloke showing up in the middle of the Hogwarts Welcome Feast," Gideon said as he reentered the office. "I should have known it was you."

Harry scowled. "I'm not crazy."

"You willingly get arrested only to attempt escape once in the Ministry?"

Harry's scowl turned into an annoyed snarl.

oooOoooOoooOooo

**A/N:** In which the skinny little wizard gets a name!


End file.
